Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has slammed the idea of scrapping relegation this campaign, adding that it is “farcical” and “stinks of greed”.
The Saints are currently 14th in the standings, just seven points above Bournemouth, Watford and West Ham who are all level in 16th place and we are not safe in England’s top tier for another season. With the Premier League currently suspended, it is yet to be decided how the season will be included.
The Mirror previously reported that due to the differences of opinion of the top six clubs, a civil war was in danger of breaking out.
Initial plans for the restart centred on only four neutral grounds to protect the welfare of the players, staff, and other officials, with all matches to be played behind closed doors, with some arguing that relegation should be scrapped as a one-off.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Keown was not impressed when he found out about this idea and did not hide his feelings about it.
Will the Premier League be completed?
Yes
No
“Scrapping relegation would be farcical and it stinks of greed”, he said. “How would we then package and sell those remaining rounds of fixtures which would essentially become dead rubbers?
“The reason we want to restart and finish this season is to establish relegations and promotions. Otherwise, it is no longer a competition.”
Keown added that it would be a “logistical nightmare” and does not envy the decision-makers, insisting that he wants to see the season completed and relegations included.
Talking from a Saints fan’s perspective, we could, of course, hope for relegation to be voided as this would guarantee our safety in the top flight for another year.
Re-establishing the integrity of the competition must be considered. There is no rush for next season to begin. It makes total sense for us to play out the last nine games and then we can focus on the next campaign.
