‘We should do this 100%’ – Brentford manager responds to Carragher question on Leeds promotion
Brentford manager Thomas Frank said that the Championship had to finish its games and promote sides on merit ahead of the June 20 restart date.
Talking on The Football Show (Sky Sports, Wednesday, 9am), Frank was also asked by Jamie Carragher if it was fair that Leeds would be handed promotion on points-per-game if the season ended early after what happened to them at the end of last season.
Frank delivered a brilliant response saying that sometimes life isn’t fair and you just have to accept a decision and move on.
Frank also had the perfect reposte to clubs like QPR saying that the June 20 start date was too soon.
“I think it was mentioned that we could maybe start on June 13 so we now actually have an extra week,” Frank said.
“It’s important we can start as quick as possible as there’s another season coming after this and there could be a second peak of this pandemic. I think it’s the right thing to do.”
Jamie Carragher said that if the Championship was forced to stop over a second peak that the season would be finished on points-per-game.
“With Brentford being in the play-offs and Leeds at the top, given what happened to Leeds last season, do you think it would be fair to promote teams on that basis?” Carragher asked.
“Errm, is that a trick question?” Frank said. “I think first and foremost you need to think of the bigger picture, what is safest for society. We know football is the most important of the non-important stuff in the world.
“Can we play the games and is it safe? We should do this 100%. If not, we need to take the best sensible decision and that’s just the way it is.
“It’s like life, if you think it’s unfair you just have to move on. But we want to play all the games.”
Frank also conceded that the best his side could realistically hope for is to stay in the play-offs.
Brentford are fourth in the Championship and 11 points off Leeds.
Frank said, “I think it’s tough, we’re 11 points off with nine games. We’d need to play nine perfect games… So, of course, we’ll go for it, but most likely we want to stay in the play-offs.”
For Leeds United, that means that it’s only Fulham that can realistically catch the Whites and we’ve got a seven-point buffer and West Brom between us and them.
If the fixtures stay the same, Leeds will play Fulham in their second game back – most likely in a midweek fixture after the opening weekend games starting on June 20.
If Leeds beat Fulham then they won’t be mathematically promoted but it will be all over bar the fat lady singing.
That is going to be a huge game.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Champions League in 2 seasons’, ‘Whoa’ – These Leeds fans react to latest QSI rumour on Twitter