The competition’s record goalscorer is adamant no winners or losers can be declared as it stands
Despite Liverpool being 25 points clear in the Premier League title race, former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer believes it wouldn’t be fair to declare the Reds champions if the season isn’t finished.
The coronavirus has currently suspended the competition until April 3 with doubts over exactly when football competitions across Europe could safely resume.
That uncertainty saw West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady recently state that the fairest thing to do would be to declare the current Premier League campaign null and void.
While Shearer concedes such a call would be “incredibly harsh” on Jurgen Klopp’s side, he stressed the fact that the Reds haven’t yet accumulated enough points would make handing them the title premature.
“If, and it is a huge if, the season cannot be completed then there is no way you can have a winner or loser,” Shearer wrote in The Sun.
“As harsh and as horrible as that would be for some clubs, none more so than Liverpool, it is the only outcome.
“If you cannot complete the fixtures then you cannot go handing out titles or consider relegating anybody.
“For Liverpool, it would be incredibly harsh. But I cannot see how it would be fair to hand them the title – despite the fact it is obvious nobody is going to catch them.
“They only need six points to wrap it up but they haven’t got them yet so for that reason it has to be declared null and void.
“It would be very different if the season was suspended after they had got the points to win it. But they haven’t and however horrible a scenario it would be, it’s the only option.”
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish on the other hand believes the season can’t be allowed to “count for nothing” as he urged the Premier League to explore every option to see out the season.
“Would any person without an agenda really think it would be the most-sensible outcome to deny Liverpool their chance of winning the title after doing fantastically well in their 29 league games so far to build up a 25-point lead over Manchester City with nine games remaining?” Dalglish wrote in his Sunday Post column.
“My first thought is that we must be given time to finish the competitions in our own backyard. If that means we need to play every second night for three weeks during May, or even into June, then so be it.
“It’s far from ideal, I know, but every club would be in the same boat, so it would be a level playing field.
“What must definitely not happen is for the 2019-20 campaign to be declared null and void.”
As it stands, Liverpool still have nine league games to play this season with their next potential match to be played against reigning champions Manchester City on April 6.
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