Big problem – Exclusive: Michael Brown reacts as Leeds rivals try to foil their promotion
Michael Brown insists that rival clubs cannot be allowed to refuse to resume the Championship season and harm the promotion hopes of Leeds United.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, the former Elland Road enforcer believes all efforts should be made to complete the current campaign before the next one begins.
As revealed by Football Insider, five Championship sides are firmly resisting the push to resume the season which could scupper Leeds’ automatic promotion chances and put the EFL in the middle of a legal minefield.
It is understood that three of the clubs among the Gang of Five are Leeds’ Yorkshire rivals, with fingers being pointed basement club Barnsley, 21st-placed Hull City and 18th-placed Huddersfield.
With no guidelines in place for what will happen to relegation and promotion should the season be called early, Brown insists that there needs to be a push to see the current campaign out on the pitch.
“The lower end clubs will know full well it’s just about staying in the league,” Brown told Football Insider.
“It’s very difficult, isn’t it? This is the problem, this is why I think everyone, including me, is saying we’ve got to try and finish it because there’s a case for everybody to say: ‘We could win the remainder of our games,’ because we’ve seen it before.
“Ultimately, it’s proving difficult to do so but we haven’t got a start date for the start of next season, let’s try and finish this one.”
Leeds and West Brom are six points clear of third-placed Fulham, who themselves are four points ahead of their play-off rivals.
The Whites have nine games left to play this season, including a crunch clash against the Cottagers.
In other Leeds United news, it can be REVEALED that the club have had six-figure bid accepted for player in major Tottenham blow.