The latest reported plan to finish the season for West Ham United and the other 19 Premier League teams has been savaged.
Richard Keys has taken a break from criticising West Ham to have a pop at Prem bosses instead.
The former Sky Sports presenter, now fulfilling the same role with beIN Sports, is incredulous at reported plans for the season to be condensed over a shorter period and all matches played at Wembley.
West Ham were in the middle of a tense relegation battle before football was shutdown due to the global health crisis.
The Hammers are 16th with nine games to play, outside the bottom three on goal difference alone.
Moyes was eyeing home advantage during run-in
David Moyes was relying on making the most of home advantage during the run in (whufc.com).
West Ham were due to play six of their remaining matches at the London Stadium, several of them against teams in the bottom half, culminating in a potential relegation six-pointer against Aston Villa on the final day.
But The Times is reporting that The FA has offered the use of Wembley Stadium and St George’s Park as neutral venues to help finish the Premier League season.
“The favoured plan is for league matches to be played behind closed doors when competitions resume to reduce the spread of coronavirus,” The Times reports.
“The FA has offered Wembley and its national football centre, in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, as venues to potentially host several matches played on the same day in an effort to complete the fixtures as soon as possible and keep travelling between venues for players, officials and the media to a minimum.”
Keys savages reported plan to condense season for Wembley finale
But Keys thinks the idea is ridiculous.
“Look like everybody else I want my football back, I want it back sooner rather than later but only when it’s safe,” Keys said on beIN Sports.
“But I just cannot see how you can stage four matches a day at Wembley to televised audiences. Where do the players stay? They’ll need testing every day for coronavirus (because) if you’re safe today it doesn’t mean you are tomorrow.
“Do we lock them in hotels? How do we get to and from games, what about drivers, medical staff? Four games a day? Two games a weekend causes a furore.
“I think this one’s just (signals crazy with hand actions).”
Fans will be forced to accept whatever plan is put in place
Despite misgivings about their new home at the London Stadium, West Ham fans would undoubtedly prefer to wait and be there to help give the team that home advantage.
Indeed cynics among West Ham supporters might suggest the fans have been practising social distancing from the players for the last four years given the huge gaps between the stands and the pitch.
But that just might not be possible and West Ham, like the other 19 top flight clubs, will have to accept whatever plan is put in place to finish the campaign.