The Championship table was a source of optimism for Leeds United fans at the start of the month, but now it serves as a stark reminder of the intense pressure the team faces as the season reaches its climax.
Leeds, along with Sheffield United and Burnley, are currently on a break from the relentless race for promotion. For Leeds, the stakes couldn’t be higher, as they aim to secure a return to the Premier League.
Failure to achieve promotion would trigger another fire sale of the club’s top players to address financial challenges, as parachute payments are significantly reduced in the third year. Additionally, manager Daniel Farke is likely to be dismissed if he fails to deliver promotion.
The German was appointed with the sole objective of securing promotion, and if he falls short for a second consecutive season, it will force the 49ers ownership group into a difficult decision. Jobi McAnuff believes there is a genuine possibility that Leeds could miss out on promotion.
Why Jobi McAnuff thinks it is possible Leeds United won’t go up:
Leeds fans are all too familiar with last season’s heartbreak. After missing out on automatic promotion, Leeds found themselves in a similar position to Burnley this season, chasing the top two but ultimately finishing third.
The disappointment of failing to secure automatic promotion led to a play-off campaign that ended in defeat to Southampton at Wembley. McAnuff insists that for Leeds, it’s automatic promotion or nothing this time around.
“Burnley will be best-equipped to deal with that situation because they haven’t been up there all season, because of the goal situation. There’s no excuse for Leeds, there’s no excuse for Sheffield United,” he said.
“Leeds will be the most-negatively effected by that given the play-off history. It is imperative they get into that top two,” McAnuff added during a discussion on Sky Sports’ EFL Essential podcast.
Points total if reverse fixtures resulted in same result for Leeds:
When the international break concludes, Leeds will begin their eight-game sprint for a top-two finish with a home match against Swansea at Elland Road. It’s a game Leeds should win comfortably, given their quality.
Leeds have a relatively favorable run-in, although no game in the Championship can be taken for granted. Five of their remaining eight opponents—Swansea, Plymouth, Luton, Stoke, and Oxford—currently sit in the bottom third of the table.
If Leeds replicate the results they achieved in the reverse fixtures against these eight teams, they would secure an additional 20 points, finishing the season with a total of 100 points—more than enough to secure promotion.