David Woods

Thu 23 April 2020 15:00, UK

Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville cut a very desolate vision for the 19/20 season on Sky Sports on Thursday – and if they’re right Leeds United will not get promoted on the pitch.

Talking on The Football Show (Sky, 9am) Redknapp said he couldn’t see any way in which the 19/20 season is re-started.

“You’ve only got to have one person, be it a referee, a manager, one of the players to become ill and you’ve got a terrible situation on your hands.

“You can’t afford to take any risks, there’s a lot of people who’ve passed away from this spiteful virus and we have to be careful.

“It feels an awful long way away, it really does. Right now if I had to bet on it, I’d bet against it happening. I just can’t see how it can feasibly start again.”

Neville echoed his opinion saying, “I thought a month or two ago that football would continue behind closed doors. I’m very, very doubtful today, the more I’m hearing.

“An employer can not put his employees at risk on health and safety grounds.”

Well, this isn’t good news for football fans.

Both the EFL and the Premier have said they want to start playing games behind closed doors in June.

That’s the situation we’d like to see come to pass as well, but only if it’s safe.

It’s not just the players you have to think about, who are younger and less at risk.

Referees and managers are also at risk if the games are played, although testing could hopefully minimise this to an acceptable level.

If Redknapp and Neville are right, Leeds won’t be winning promotion on the pitch.

If that happens, the EFL are reportedly pushing for the Premier League to uphold a legal agreement that would see three up and three down regardless of whether any more games are played or not.

That might come with legal challenges but at least it would see Leeds promoted.

However, as far as this goes, we hope both Redknapp and Neville are wrong.

In other Leeds United news, ‘Beggars belief’ – Neil Warnock delivers verdict on Leeds & West Brom season after key vote