It’s no secret the Coronavirus pandemic has had a financial impact on all aspects of life. That, of course, includes football. The Premier League is one of the richest leagues in the world, yet it, too, suffered the consequences of the three-month league hiatus.
With that said, a new plan has recently come to light, one which would entirely reform the league structure as we know it. Dubbed ‘Project Big Picture,‘ it will surely be a controversial topic for clubs, fans, and pundits alike for the months and years to come.
Let’s delve into some of the proposals within Project Big Picture.
Project Big Picture: A Deeper Analysis Into The Radical Premier League Proposal
Number of Premier League Teams Cut
Under this new plan, there would only be 18 teams in the Premier League, down from the current 20. The bottom two teams would get relegated each season, with the 16th-placed team joining the Championship promotion play-off matches to fight for their place in the league.
It’s not clear how they’d plan to implement such a change, but there are a few possible scenarios. The EFL could stop promotion to the Premier League for one season and just bring down two, or they could even relegate five from the top flight and keep the Championship promotion intact.
It’s worth noting that the Championship, League One and League Two numbers would all stay the same, with 24 teams each, so it seems that two would have to drop back into non-league football.
These changes would make the Premier League similar to the Bundesliga in England, with fewer teams and fewer matches played.
Two Old Classics Scrapped
A very notable change within Project Big Picture is the abolition of both the League Cup and the Community Shield. Both have been staples of English football for a long time, and it’d be a shame to see them go.
The League Cup, now the Carabao Cup due to sponsorship, used to be the EFL Cup. Before that, it was the Capital One Cup, and even earlier the Carling Cup. Different names or not, the League Cup has accompanied the Premier League perfectly for so many years, and it’d be a shame to see it go.
Similarly, the Community Shield, previously called the Charity Shield, has always been an excellent segway into the new season; the winners of the FA Cup against the winners of the league. A “glorified friendly,” it’s a game where sides first play their best team after a rotation-filled preseason. We could learn a lot about what’s to come from watching the top two teams go at it in the Community Shield.
While it may have its advantages, getting rid of these competitions and needlessly scrapping lifelong competitions would surely upset too many fans.
Advantage for Top Clubs
Project Big Picture also includes a provision granting special voting rights for the nine clubs who have enjoyed extended runs in the Premier League. That obviously includes the top-six clubs- Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, and Spurs- but also Everton, West Ham, and Southampton.
In exchange for providing more funding in order to stabilize the EFL and FA, these clubs would have a greater impact on decisions and increase their influence within the league. More power would be concentrated within these clubs, which would surely benefit them in the long run.
Premier League Opposition
While the EFL has endorsed this plan, the Premier League association has publicly spoken out against it. In an official statement, they emphasized the need for the Premier League and the FA to discuss changes, especially in light of the pandemic.
However, they disagreed with many of the proposals put forth by Project Big Picture, claiming that it would have a “damaging impact” on the game, and they also publicly expressed their disappointment in EFL chairman Rick Parry for endorsing the plan.
While some of these changes seem to have their merits, some of them appear divisive and could change the face of the Premier League as we know it. It certainly has its controversy, but make no mistake about it, this is not the last we’ll be hearing about Project Big Picture.
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