MOT View: BBC pundit highlights big issue for Leeds promotion charge amid EFL suspension
Leeds United have had their next three Championship fixtures postponed after the EFL announced on Friday that all matches have been suspended until April.
After a meeting on Friday morning, it was confirmed that the Premier League and EFL will be suspended for the coming weeks due to the global coronavirus pandemic, which has started to seep it’s way into football.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and Chelsea attacker Callum Hudson-Odoi are among some of the people involved in football who’ve been confirmed to have contracted the virus.
While it’s sad that there won’t be any football to watch for the rest of the month, it does seem like it’s the right decision that will, hopefully, serve a greater good to society.
As for Leeds, the EFL suspension has come at a horrible time.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men are charging towards promotion back to the Premier League but, as pointed out by BBC Radio Leeds pundit Noel Whelan, that momentum may have been halted.
“Realistically now, when you look at everyone else across Europe and they’re suspending the football for two weeks at least, I think this is sensible,” the ex-Whites striker told Football Insider.
“We’re in a situation now where you’re seeing people contracting the virus at top clubs. You’ve got to follow suit and protect the players and fans.
“I think it would selfish, it would be a little bit silly, if they didn’t postpone the games now.
“For Leeds, obviously it would be disappointing because we’ve got a little bit of momentum going, but it doesn’t mean the end of the season. It just means precautionary measures have to be taken, and they have to be taken now.”
Leeds have won their last five Championship matches without conceding a goal and are playing some of the best football since Bielsa arrived at the club.
For them to be playing so well continuously, it is good to be playing once or twice a week so that their momentum can carry over into the next match.
While there was an international break scheduled for later this month that could have disrupted that run, the fact a break has come much earlier could be a a big problem for Leeds’ form.
It took the Whites so long to start putting together a run of good performances and positive results.
Once the EFL is back underway – whenever that may be – how long will it take for Leeds to get back to playing the way they are now?
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