‘I’m pretty certain’: Alan Shearer delivers dire warning to Championship ahead of Monday meeting
Alan Shearer has delivered a dire warning to the Championship ahead of the Premier League meeting on Monday.
Writing in his column in the Sun Shearer said there were so many questions currently unanswered ahead of football’s restart.
He said: “If they are not answered soon then I fear for football’s return.”
Shearer added that players must be given a say in what happens and a choice as to whether they want to play or not.
“And that’s why today, and future meetings, are so important,” Shearer wrote.
However, irrespective of any restart, Shearer thinks the Coronavirus will have a terrible effect on the game below the Premier League.
“I’m pretty certain we’re going to lose some clubs, whether we start up football again or not,” Shearer said.
“The Premier League might be able to operate for a while without fans but the Championship, Leagues One and Two won’t be able to do that.”
Leeds are on the brink of a return to the Premier League and it’s looking likely that they will finally escape the Championship this season – albeit in the most unusual circumstances.
However, it’s not certain yet.
And if Leeds don’t win promotion then the finances at the club are going to be horrible.
Andrea Radrizzani has already said the wage bill is unsustainable in the Championship.
Marcelo Bielsa and his staff take up a big chunk of the near-£50m wages and he’s unlikely to stay if Leeds don’t get promoted.
Leeds already have a deal in place to sign Helder Costa but if they stay in the Championship it’s almost certain that Jack Harrison, Ben White and Jean-Kevin Augustin will leave.
Illan Meslier is another player Leeds might not be able to afford unless they get promoted and other well-paid players like Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford and Kiko Casilla could leave too.
The financial package Leeds will get if they go up will see them safe.
However, the alternative isn’t really worth thinking about at the moment.
It’s been reported that Boris Johnson is set to announce that there will be no fans until a vaccine is found and that’s unlikely to be this year.
Leeds United simply can’t afford to lose that revenue in the Championship, which makes the current bid for promotion – and today’s meeting – so important.
In other Leeds United news, Boris Johnson set to deliver crushing news for Leeds on Monday