Leeds United: Is automatic promotion still in reach?
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00:00 I believe we are into 2024 with Leeds United. If we look first at the championship, there's 20 games left.
00:06 We're just over halfway through the season. Automatic promotion is, it's going to be tricky,
00:12 let's be honest. Leicester and Ipswich really running away with it at the moment and Southampton in third also challenging
00:17 really toughly as well. And so given that,
00:20 where do Leeds fit into this promotion race? Can they challenge the top two or
00:26 have Southampton got the upper hand at the moment in doing that? And is it a more realistic chance that they'll be destined for the playoffs?
00:33 I don't know. I think a lot of fans are probably already braced for the playoffs,
00:38 is probably a good way to put it. But it's certainly far from impossible that they could yet finish in the top two and get automatic promotion.
00:43 It's definitely doable.
00:45 What you would say is that if Leeds are going to do it, then their away form's got to improve. It's as simple as that.
00:50 Obviously, they've been sensational at home, like, you know, just winning practically every week.
00:53 You know, an amazing record at Elland Road at the moment, which is, you know, really sort of like spurring them on and
00:58 keeping them very much in the race, really, because on the away form, yes,
01:01 they've had some very good results, obviously away at Ipswich and away at Leicester.
01:04 I mean, two of the hardest places to go to and winning, but, you know, letting themselves down with defeats at places like Preston and West Brom.
01:10 OK, West Brom are a very good side, Birmingham earlier in the season, you know, there's been Stoke as well.
01:15 I remember the game at Stoke when we all went there expecting to win.
01:17 So the away form's got to improve. And obviously somewhere along the lines,
01:20 the other teams have also got to slip up, obviously, because of the way, because of the, you know, how big the gap is.
01:25 What you would say is we've talked about this quite a lot on these shows, and I've always been very mindful of Southampton.
01:31 Leeds have always been above them just about, but they've been creeping, creeping up on them.
01:34 And they're on a stunning run.
01:35 I mean, 19 games unbeaten in the League and Cup is an absolutely phenomenal run for Southampton.
01:39 I mean, people talk about Leicester's record points total and stuff, and they look away and gone, to be honest.
01:43 But, you know, Southampton have to be applauded for that.
01:45 And if they keep that up, then they're going to take some catching from Leeds' point of view.
01:50 Never mind Ipswich, and obviously the four behind Southampton and seven behind Ipswich.
01:54 I think, obviously, the million-dollar question with Ipswich is about their, you know,
01:58 A, they haven't been here before recently, and also the squad strength, you know, and squad strength and depth.
02:04 But, you know, they've got to applaud them.
02:05 They've been brilliant under Kieran McKenna, who's a very, very good young manager.
02:08 Obviously, they were blown away at Ellen Road.
02:10 And on that base performance, it didn't really look like a top-two team.
02:13 And I don't know, at the moment, the sort of gut instinct is to think that you're probably talking Leicester and Southampton purely because of Southampton's form.
02:19 And the points that Leicester have got in the bank.
02:21 But Leeds are definitely more than a match for any of those teams on their day.
02:25 We've seen that, obviously, the one at Leicester, the one at Ipswich, you know, hammered Ipswich at Ellen Road.
02:30 Southampton, they play at the end of the season at Ellen Road.
02:32 That's going to be, could potentially be a massive game, that one.
02:35 And obviously, they were really disappointing in the away game at Southampton.
02:37 But I just think it does come down to the away form, really, because, I mean, if they're going to keep on winning at Ellen Road, which I'd probably expect them to do,
02:43 they won't win every single game at Ellen Road, but, you know, they might not be far off that.
02:47 If they're getting points there all the time, but then slipping up, you know, every other week away from home, then they're just going to end up more or less where they are now,
02:53 you know, possibly a bit further behind because the standard is that high with those other teams winning all the time.
02:58 A lot of them have got to play each other as well, obviously.
03:00 So there will be times when they drop points.
03:02 And at the moment, seven points and four points, it's not too bad.
03:05 Obviously, the big thing now, though, is you're no longer just looking at catching Ipswich.
03:09 You've now got to catch Ipswich and Southampton.
03:10 So, yeah, it's going to be tough. Definitely no doubt about that.
03:13 But it's far from impossible.
03:14 I just think the away form is going to be key.
03:16 and obviously, as with all these clubs, Daniel, what happens in the January transfer window, really.