Norwich City skipper admits he would feel different in Leeds United's shoes

NORWICH CITY captain Grant Hanley admits his thoughts on Premier League relegation would be rather different if placed in Leeds United's shoes.
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Norwich sit bottom of the Premier League and six points from safety as uncertainty continues to surround the conclusion of the English football season due to the country's ongoing battle with coronavirus.

Canaries sporting director Stuart Webber has already said it would be unacceptable for teams from English football's second tier to be promoted without fulfilling all their fixtures - especially if sides were also relegated from the Premier League having completed their games.

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Brighton striker Glenn Murray expressed similar views on Thursday, saying it would be unfair if his Seagulls side were relegated from a fully completed Premier League but teams were still promoted from the Championship without kicking another ball.

GIVE US A CHANCE: Says Norwich City captain Grant Hanley who can also understand Leeds United's point of view. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.GIVE US A CHANCE: Says Norwich City captain Grant Hanley who can also understand Leeds United's point of view. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.
GIVE US A CHANCE: Says Norwich City captain Grant Hanley who can also understand Leeds United's point of view. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.

Leeds sit top of the Championship and one point clear of second-placed West Brom with the Whites holding a seven-point buffer in the division's automatic promotion places with nine games left.

The EFL still intend to fulfil all remaining fixtures but should the season be curtailed, the Whites and Baggies appear highly likely to be promoted with EFL chairman Rick Parry still expecting promotion and relegation and FA Chairman Greg Clarke against null and voiding divisions.

The prospect of such a move is clearly causing anger with top flight sides battling relegation but Canaries captain Hanley says he can appreciate other teams such as United's point of view.

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Norwich were promoted themselves from the Championship last season as winners with Sheffield United taking the second automatic promotion spot as Leeds fell away to finish third before suffering defeat to Derby County in the play-offs.

Speaking on Sky Sports' The Football Show, Hanley was asked by former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher about Murray's comments and if his own opinion would have changed this time last year with Hanley admitting: "I think so. Everybody has got their own interests to consider.

"But what I will say is that as players and as a team we have worked hard to get a fair crack of the whip in the Premier League. It would be such a shame for us and it would be heartbreaking if we did not get that.

"I'm thankful that it's not going to be me that makes these sorts of decisions because it's going to be tough to keep everyone happy.

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"From a player's point of view, I think first of all we have just got to look at where we are in terms of getting back to training and clubs getting back to playing.

"But in terms of who goes down and who goes up, who knows.

"It's the whole thing and the whole situation, it's just uncertainty and nothing is clear at this moment in time.

"There’s just so much uncertainty, so much that’s not clear."

Asked about the thoughts upon returning to training and possibly then league games within his squad, Hanley added: "From a player’s point of view and being a captain, it’s important to speak to your players and I think the overall feeling is that players have got concerns.

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"There’s just so much uncertainty and looking at the protocols for going back to training, I think that’s probably fair enough, but it’s the next step from that - where do we go from there, in terms of going back to contact training and games?

"Obviously the Premier League have opened up dialogue with captains this week, that’s sort of been the start of it, but going forward that’s obviously something that’s going to be needed.

“They’re going to need to look at the players and ask their opinions, their feelings, worries and concerns on what’s happening.

"That was spoken about in the meetings we had this week, in terms of where the players are at and where squads were at and their opinions as a whole.”

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