Lee Bowyer makes confident Leeds United promotion prediction and Premier League claim

Bowyer’s overriding concern is at the bottom end of the division with the Charlton Athletic boss hoping the remainder of the season can be concluded to allow the Addicks to safeguard their second tier status.

Should the remainder of the season be curtailed due to the country’s ongoing battle against coronavirus, Charlton would be relegated under the EFL’s chosen unweighted points per game model.

The same model would also see Leeds declared champions with the EFL saying promotion and relegation should be retained and Bowyer says Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites would fully merit their place back in the country’s top flight, one year after last season’s heartache in the play-offs.

“I’m delighted for Leeds and to be fair they deserve to go up, they are the best side in our division,” Bowyer told talkSPORT.

“They narrowly missed out last season and Villa went up and I would love to see Leeds go up.

“I think Leeds deserve to be in the Premier League, and I think the Premier League needs Leeds, needs their support.

“It’s a great atmosphere and a great ground to play there, so they should be in the Premier League.

“I have no doubt, hopefully if we do finish the season I believe they will be in the top two, they’re the best side in the league.”

Reflecting on Charlton’s predicament, Bowyer said: “There are 27 points still to play for, we’ve only been in the bottom three for six days – give us the chance to get out!

“It would be wrong, this points-per-game, because we’ve played 37 games this season and for 36 of them we haven’t been in the bottom three.

“This time last season Aston Villa weren’t even in the play-offs positions, and now they’re in the Premier League.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. These are challenging times but the team at the Yorkshire Evening Post need your support more than ever in the weeks ahead.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty.

So the support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with the city you live in during this time.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this and your continued support to the YEP will help to protect its viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk/YEP, email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Laura Collins

Editor

READ MORE: https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/opinion/were-therewithyou-now-your-yep-needs-your-support-too-laura-collins-yep-editor-2521777