The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
A very hollow promotion party
League One has become a problem for the EFL, but actually the closeness of the division offers the obvious solution on how to end the 2019-20 season.
If you cannot see the logic of continuing until every team has played every other team home and away no matter how long it takes in a division where three points separate the teams in second and eighth places then void the entire campaign now.
If, as most feel likely, League One clubs follow the lead of League Two and halt the season and award final placings on a points-per-game average then Coventry and Rotherham will be promoted automatically to the Championship while Wycombe, Oxford, Fleetwood and Portsmouth will contest the playoffs.
Posh will miss out altogether, which given their friendlylooking fixture list and goal difference advantage would be a huge disappointment and a rather unjust verdict, but that’s not even the biggest anomaly of the probable outcome.
Rotherham are currently second. They have earnt that position fairly over 35 games. They looked a formidable outfit when thrashing Posh 4-0 at the New York Stadium over Christmas (right).
Equally Posh looked the much better side when the teams clashed at the Weston Homes Stadium four weeks later. Posh won 2-1 and deserved to win by more, but the two results prove the competitiveness of League One.
It has been an outstanding competition higlighted by leaders Coventry’s silky skills, Fleetwood’s excellent organisation, Rotherham’s power and set-piece expertise, Oxford’s flair and the presence of huge clubs like Sunderland, Portsmouth and Ipswich.
But awarding promotions before they’ve been won fair and square on the field is an absurd premise.
Included in Rotherham’s outstanding nine fixtures are six top-half teams. In the reverse fixtures against those sides ‘The Millers’ picked up five points. They may well have picked up more points second time around, but noone knows and there’s enough doubt for the teams queueing up behind them to be miffed about losing the chance to overtake them.
After winning 2-1 at Accrington on February 22 Rotherham were top of League One, eight points clear of Ipswich in eighth. They didn’t win any of their next three matches, including games against strugglers MK Dons and Rochdale, to leave them hanging on to second spot.
Oxford were nine points and eight places behind Rotherham on February 22. They’ve gained seven points in three matches since then and now sit right behind them.
Rotherham are one of seven teams who could yet finish second, but in this season of twists and turns it’s ludicrous to assume they would.
Coventry are at least five points clear at the top with a game in hand, but Rotherham’s promotion would be a very hollow achievement.