The fair way Sunderland boss believes Portsmouth's League One promotion battle can be settled

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson has backed the idea of an extended play-offs to complete the League One season.
Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson. Picture: Frank ReidSunderland boss Phil Parkinson. Picture: Frank Reid
Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson. Picture: Frank Reid

Clubs were unable to come to a definitive conclusion on how to finish the 2019-20 campaign following yesterday’s EFL meeting amid the coronavirus crisis.

Pompey are one of six sides who felt the current season should be finished on the pitch heading into the meeting.

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Blues chief executive Mark Catlin was ‘positive but not confident’ that could happen in the aftermath, with sides set to reassemble next week.

An unweighted points-per-game basis to conclude the season has been forwarded - which would see Pompey finish fifth and face Oxford in the play-off semi-finals.

However, Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has mooted promoting leaders Coventry and second-placed Rotherham and then allow the rest of the clubs battling for a top-six spot to fight it out among themselves.

That’s a proposal Parkinson would support.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, the Black Cats boss said: ‘Early this week, I thought the likelihood of League One playing on was limited.

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‘As the week went on, the government guidelines on training came out, and we looked at that and thought it was achievable.

‘I was on a call yesterday with the LMA and doctors about testing etc. (After that) I don’t see any reason why the first stage of resuming training (in groups of five) can’t go ahead.

‘League Two obviously voted to end their season, while League One had a meeting with the chief executives and a decision is still to be made.

‘There is a split because everyone is going to vote for what they want for their club.

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‘I think the fairest thing is, we would like to play the season to a finish, but another solution could be that teams who don’t want to play, and you can understand why teams in mid-table wouldn’t, don’t play.

‘But teams who are vying for promotion, can we have an extended play-off scenario?

‘League One has been so tight all season. You look at teams like ourselves and Wycombe Wanderers, not only do we think we can get in the play-offs, we think we can get it into the top two. Anything can happen in the last eight to ten games.

‘I think it would be unfair to write promotion off as it stands, and the same in the relegation zone. I think it’s unfair to say to Tranmere that they’re relegated when they have a game-in-hand.

‘If they win that, and it draws quite a few teams back in.

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‘I can understand why teams want to play, there is a cost to putting games on and the testing.

‘Equally, I think there’s a solution which could probably suit everyone.’

Parkinson pinpointed how close the League One promotion race has been this term. Just three points separate Rotherham and eight-placed Wycombe.

And given how the table can drastically change in the business end of the season, Parkinson believes an extended play-off format would give everyone a fair crack at the whip.

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Parkinson added: ‘Coventry City have been on an exceptional run and have got that lead, but it wasn’t that long ago that Wycombe Wanderers had a big lead at the top.

‘We beat Oxford at the Kassam Stadium and at that stage, we were well clear of them.

‘Teams through the season have had dips and gone on runs and there’s nothing to say it can’t swing around again.

‘The history of football tells us all that in the last eight to ten games, things can change when the tension and pressure kicks in.

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‘League One has been very, very tight. There’s little between the teams and it’s probably fair to give everyone a crack at getting up, whether it’s by finishing the regulation season or by some other format.’

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