Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale says it would be 'cruel' to end season now

Thursday 26 March 2020 17:09, UK

Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale says it would be "cruel" and "hugely unfair" if the season were to end now and let the Premier League table stand as it is.

That would see Liverpool crowned champions, but it's a lot tighter at the bottom where Bournemouth would be relegated to the Championship along with Norwich and Aston Villa, who are just two points from safety with a game in hand on the teams above them.

Ramsdale told Sky Sports News: "No one's totally adrift and we haven't worked this hard and played this many games just to be cruelly sent down.

"It would be even harsher on Aston Villa who, if they hadn't done so well in getting to the Carabao Cup final, would have played another game and might not even be in bottom three. I think that's probably the worst scenario.

"We've put a lot into this season, and we want to get it going again. And for all those other teams who have worked so hard; Liverpool, so close to the title, and Sheffield United who want to finish as high as they can. It's our job, it's our passion and at the moment we're in a bit of limbo."

The Premier League are firmly against such a drastic scenario, with the season postponed 'indefinitely' and a desire to complete the remaining matches, even if it means eating into the 2020-21 season. The possibility of recommencing games in June behind closed doors is being explored and Ramsdale thinks this would be a shame, but can understand the rationale behind it.

"Having played a lot of under023s football recently, where there are fewer fans, I can say they certainly make a huge difference. If it comes down to it, where we have to play five games behind closed doors and then another five with the crowd back, it will benefit the players because although we're having a break at the moment, you're not able to mentally switch off.

"If there were, say, three games a day and it was all televised, then fans would have entertainment and maybe it could work. But part and parcel of football is the fans, especially at a club like Bournemouth where the fans are a massive driving force."

He also opened up about how tough mentally the delay has been to cope with.

"It's not been easy to be honest," he said. "I've struggled to adapt to not going into training every morning. You just wake up and sit around the house trying to keep yourself busy. As a 21-year-old there's only so much you can do when you're not very good at DIY and everything's done for you!

"It's easy over the summer to switch off and forget about football but we can't do that, especially in the situation we're in as a team. You've got to somehow keep your mind active."

One silver lining for Ramsdale, who's impressed in his first full season as Bournemouth's first-choice goalkeeper, is the postponement of the Euros, with an extra twelve months now to impress England manager Gareth Southgate.

"If my performance levels are the same or better, then an extra year is obviously a massive help. The full England squad is something I've wanted to try and get into. The most important thing is I finish off this season strong and hopefully I'll be in his plans this season, never mind next.

"Tom Heaton and Jordan Pickford have always been top class. Whenever I've had a good game, they'll always send me a message on Instagram. It's brilliant when you can just chat to one of them.

"Dean Henderson and I have been together for a while in [under-age] England camps. He's a brilliant goalkeeper and he's having a fantastic season. Although we're going for the same spot, we're in the same situation as young lads trying to get into it and we're just feeding off each other really."