"We can't keep waiting and waiting for the next two years but hopefully it won't take that long ... Personally, I would rather wait and play it out as it is."
Thursday 21 May 2020 17:18, UK
Former England international Lianne Sanderson believes the Women's Super League season should be completed in full, as talks continue over how to finish the campaign.
No WSL games have been played since February because of the coronavirus pandemic and the FA wrote to clubs this week to seek an agreement on how the end the season.
Three options have emerged from recent talks with clubs; a weighted points-per-game system which includes promotion and relegation, the same system but without relegation and a third option to void the season completely.
Sanderson believes none of the three options are fair on all clubs and would prefer for the season to be completed in its entirety.
"I think that they've just got to play the games whenever they feel it is safe to do so," said the former Arsenal and Chelsea forward.
"That's what I feel about the men's game and the women's game. We can't keep waiting and waiting for the next two years but hopefully it won't take that long.
"Personally, I would rather wait and play it out as it is."
Chelsea would leapfrog Manchester City and be crowned WSL champions if points-per-game is used to decide the league, with Emma Hayes' side currently second by one point but with a game in hand.
"I would be absolutely fuming if that happened to be honest," added Sanderson, when asked how she would react to that scenario if she played for City.
"But knowing Emma Hayes and the Chelsea girls, what are they supposed to do? It's not their fault if they get handed the league.
"They might even go on to win the league if they play the games out but it's not really anyone's fault if they get handed it.
"I feel like the girls wouldn't even want it. If I won the league in this way I'd get my medal and still be proud of it, because you've worked hard for it, but it would feel a little bit like… did we really win the league?"
Sanderson believes the WSL will recover from the coronavirus pandemic and says women's football is now in a stronger position to overcome adversity than in previous years.
"There's so much joy surrounding the women's game, a lot of fans are coming to the games now so I think it's definitely not going to make a huge difference," she said.
"If the fans were there before they're certainly going to come back. Nobody can wait for the games to come back. Men's football, women's football - all football.
"As we saw with the Bundesliga last weekend, everybody tuned in because we just love the beautiful game.
"It is important we all stick together and get behind the women's game and everybody can continue to support, whenever that time comes."
Brighton Women's manager Hope Powell is comfortable with the season being curtailed and the final standings determined using points per game, but the former Lionesses boss doesn't want to see anyone relegated.
Brighton are ninth in the WSL, three places above the Liverpool who occupy the division's one and only relegation place, and would avoid relegation if it were to be decided via a points-per-game system.
Asked how she would like to see the season ended, Powell said: "For me personally, points per game with no relegation.
"I think it would be hugely unfair to relegate a team when the season hasn't been played out, through nobody's fault, actually.
"So for me, the logical step would be no relegation and, perhaps, promote one from the Championship.
"I think it's really important there is an outcome certainly for Champions League places. I think the most important thing for me personally is not to relegate."
