The Premier League clubs that have taken a stand against playing out the season in neutral venues have been labelled by some as cynical and pragmatic. They have been accused of thinking only of how to save their own skins.
A deputy chief constable even told them to 'get a grip' and used the most emotive language he could draw on. He conjured an image of using 'coffins for goalposts'.
The problem is that the more the issue of neutral venues is examined, the more flawed it seems. Positions on the idea appear to have hardened in the last couple of days.