Liverpool and Man Utd praised for saving EFL clubs with controversial proposal

Liverpool and Manchester United’s controversial ‘Project Big Picture’ idea has reportedly been welcomed by League One and Two clubs in desperate need of financial assistance.

The plan, launched on Sunday and supported by EFL chief Rick Parry, would immediately provide around £350million to be shared among struggling Football League clubs, the National League, the women’s game and grassroots football.

While such initiatives are to be welcomed of course, this plan seems to come at the cost of the bigger clubs grabbing more power in the English game.

Both the Carabao Cup and Community Shield would be axed as part of the proposals, while the Premier League would be reduced from a 20-team league to 18.

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The Premier League’s bottom two would be relegated with the top two in the Championship promoted, with a third top-flight spot decided in a playoff between the team third bottom of the Premier League and the Championship’s third, fourth and fifth-placed teams.

The plans would also guarantee voting rights to the clubs who have been established in the Premier League the longest, introduce salary caps in the EFL and enforce Financial Fair Play regulations.

Some top-flight clubs, fans and the government have all hit out at the plans and at Parry for supporting them, but they received support from those in the lower leagues.

The Athletic report on League One executive claiming that: “The EFL is in such a bad position, something has gone wrong, it can’t continue. Who is coming up with a solution? Nobody, except for Manchester United and Liverpool.

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“There is disagreement on everything in the EFL and we never get a consensus, whether it is resuming the league after lockdown or doing the play-offs. We never get anywhere. Time is not on our side and if stays this way, clubs will go bust.

“So yes, we are at the mercy of really rich guys, but it is good someone is taking initiative, as everything else on the table is so limited.

“Is it a disaster to have more power for top six? Doesn’t every industry have big players?

“This proposal will make clubs be more stable in lower leagues and now it will make more sense to own a lower league club. This will save many clubs from going bust.”