The former Arsenal star admits it is hard to understand how the Reds could be given the crown, even if taking their commanding lead under the account.
Liverpool are unlucky to find themselves in Premier League name limbo, admits Paul Merson, as”if it had been Manchester City 25 points clear, nobody would care”.
The Reds have waited 30 years to get their hands on the English top-flight crown.
Having moved to the verge of a first coronation in three years, aggressive soccer has shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic and cast doubt over whether an end to 2019-20 will be attained.
The taste of many is to find the effort completed, even if this means tweaking the schedule of future events.
Merson — a two-time title winner throughout his playing days at Arsenal — considers that needs to be the case, with it tough to understand how Liverpool may be given a trophy with nine games left to play.
He concedes that background is further complicating an already tricky situation, as a similar argument would likely have been averted had serial winners like City were leading the way.
The ex-England international told Sky Sports: “It is all well saying Liverpool are 25 points clear, but when I played snooker with my partner tomorrow and I wanted 25 snookers to win, and he said:’The match has ended, there is no point playing !’ – for another week or two, I would be saying:’But I might have won that!’
“You really feel for them, waiting 30 years to get a name. When it was Manchester City 25 points clear, nobody would care! Because they have won it already. This team has not won it for 30 years! This is similar to a film.
“I really feel for them; even if you gave them the league today, mathematically it is not won. I know they have won it in nature, most of us know that, but it is not the same! It is a shame.”
Merson is one of those to have offered up a possible solution to the poser confronting Premier League bosses.
On his plan of action, the Gunners legend said: “What we could have done is place every club into total isolation for a couple of weeks, and in a few months’ time, we will start again.
“We test all of them after those few weeks, then we play all the matches behind closed doors. All of the games will be televised at many different times. However, this remains a chaotic solution.
“I don’t believe you can have 22 teams, promote West Brom and Leeds and relegate five next year. And if they announce the season null and void, what exactly are they going to do – give everybody their season ticket back since the season basically never occurred?
“There is nothing to say the season has to begin in August, that is just how we pick it. The Euros will be next year, so no silly England international friendlies, which purchases six or so weeks, so we could begin the season later in September and October.
“Euro 2020 is not happening. That’s 100 percent, for me. I would not even have a meeting on Tuesday. I do not even know why they’re having a meeting about it. There is no point.
“The Champions League and Euros are easy – cancel them. They don’t have to be played.”
