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'Only option' – Harry Redknapp delivers Leeds promotion verdict if Project Restart fails
Harry Redknapp has said that it would be unfair to relegate any teams if the 19/20 seasons don’t finish but added that Leeds United and West Brom should be handed promotion.
He said that was the “only option” if Project Restart fails, with the first vote on getting the Premier League season started expected later on Monday.
Redknapp said that five teams should be relegated from the 20/21 campaign to rebalance the league.
Talking on The Football Show (Sky Sports, Monday, 9am), Redknapp said, “We all want to see Liverpool win the league, they deserve to be crowned champions. Then you look at teams coming up.
“I don’t see how you can relegate teams if we don’t start again, that would be totally unfair. This is the time with nine games left when everything changes. To do it on points-per-game would be unfair.
“We had 10 games to go at Portsmouth and you would have written us off. We had 18 points from 28 games, we would have been given 25 points, maybe 26 max, with points-per-game and we ended up with 38 points.
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“If they don’t play, the only option is to promote the two teams [Leeds and West Brom] and relegate five next season.”
Promoting two teams and relegating no one is an option that’s been mooted, mainly by teams near the bottom of the Premier League, but it would be difficult to push it through.
Any rule changes in the Premier League require a 14/6 vote in favour and we can’t see that many clubs agreeing to playing more fixtures next season in a potentially shorter period of time.
The FA has special powers of veto over a number of issues in the Premier League and the number of teams is one of them.
They have already said that teams should be relegated even if the season doesn’t finish and Leeds will be desperate for that to be officially ratified.
There might be no perfect solution – bar both leagues completing their fixtures – but blocking promotion from the Championship and the knock-on problems that would cause down the football pyramid is a situation that surely must be avoided.
After that, Leeds might have to fight their corner in the courts.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Encouraging signs’ – Alan Shearer hails development that sends big boost to Leeds promotion bid