London Independent journalist Miguel Delaney joined The Football Show on Wednesday to discuss the situation of football players in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and discussions of wage cuts.
Delaney believes that the row between players, the UK Government and the Premier League kicked into gear around the time that Tottenham Hotspur announced their furloughing of non-playing staff.
"They were the first club to make clear that they couldn't - or wouldn't - pay their staff because of financial concerns.
"That immediately puts the focus on players because you have people that are not getting full salaries, like the rest of us and the super-funded players are still getting their wages."
Delaney spoke with current players and agents that believe this was a 'power move' by Spurs' Chief Executive Daniel Levy, to pressure the players into taking a cut.
"What has happened since then is that the players have had unfair pressure put on them to carry the can for this."
The situation is a face-off between the players and their employers, as Delaney explains.
"We are talking about billionaire owners, and the players believe that the first people to stump up should be the owners.
"That is why it has felt so unseemly, because this is essentially a battle between millionaires and billionaires.
"While I do think there is a justifiable angle for some players, I do think that some clubs are in danger. At the last count, I believe that four Premier League clubs were close to administration.
"If that happens, that might start to force players' hands.
"Ultimately, we have a trust issue. The players are all willing to accept some kind of cut [...] but they want to give their cut to the NHS and worthy causes, whereas clubs want player wages to go back into the clubs and pay staff."
Since the recording of the interview with Delaney, Jordan Henderson has announced his #PlayersTogether initiative, which will directly aid the NHS during the coronavirus crisis.
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