The Warm-Up: Liverpool do the right thing, but let's not praise them too much

We have consulted with a range of key stakeholders as part of a process aimed at achieving the best possible outcome for all concerned. A range of possible scenarios were considered, including but not restricted to: applying to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which pays 80 per cent of salary and guaranteeing the 20 per cent payment; applying to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme with a guarantee to reimburse monies received at a later date; and, thirdly, finding an alternative means to cover our furlough costs. It is as a direct result of this extensive consultation and our own internal deliberations at various levels throughout the club that we have opted to find alternative means despite our eligibility to apply for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. We believe we came to the wrong conclusion last week to announce that we intended to apply to the Coronavirus Retention Scheme and furlough staff due to the suspension of the Premier League football calendar, and are truly sorry for that. Our intentions were, and still are, to ensure the entire workforce is given as much protection as possible from redundancy and/or loss of earnings during this unprecedented period. We are therefore committed to finding alternative ways to operate while there are no football matches being played that ensures we are not applying for the government relief scheme.

Tactical fouls ruin the game. A swift counter-attack can be halted deliberately by a player without any interest in winning the ball. A yellow card is brandished, a free-kick from 35 yards is usually wasted and it remains 11 v 11. Some will argue that it’s part of the game, that players effectively have two lives each time they step onto the pitch and are therefore entitled to scissor someone down. But does it make for a better spectacle? And more importantly, does any yellow card offence?

McGuinness reflects the way recruitment has become globalised. He has worked on three continents. He was a senior scout for Celtic and played a part in the signing of Virgil van Dijk. He then served as senior player recruiter for Qatar. The quest to discover the next big thing, he can confirm, starts earlier and earlier. “You would never have seen the prices being paid for young kids a decade ago that you see these days with the influx of cash coming from television money, sponsorship deals and wealthy owners investing large sums,” McGuinness said. “Nowadays, kids are being headhunted and signing pro contracts before they have even started maturing.”