Leeds United sent Coventry City warning by Don Goodman in new automatic promotion verdict
Don Goodman believes Coventry City could prove the sternest test for Leeds United in their quest to earn automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Daniel Farke’s men sit top of the Championship with eight games to play, albeit with Leicester City level on points and having a game in hand in a gripping promotion battle.
Ipswich Town are also just one point further behind, while Southampton in fourth are nine points back with two games in hand.
Southampton visit Elland Road on the final day of the season, but Goodman believes a trip to Coventry on 6 April could also be defining.
“Looking at the remaining fixtures, they have Southampton on the final day. They’d very much liked to have sealed the deal before they play that one,” Goodman told MOT Leeds News.
“The other one that jumps out is Coventry City – they are a good team who are fighting hard to get into the top six.
“Then you have Hull City as well, and also a Middlesbrough side who are finding form. Can they go unbeaten? Of course they can.
“Would it surprise me if they lost one of those, or at least dropped points? No, it wouldn’t – that’s the nature of the Championship.”
Leeds United’s remaining Championship fixtures
Leeds are unbeaten in 13 league games since the turn of the year, winning all but one of those in what has been a superb run of form.
From being well drift at the end of December to sitting top of the pile, Farke’s men deserve huge praise for the way they have turned things around.
It is now in their own hands from this point on. If they seen out the campaign perfect, they will go back up to the Premier League automatically.
Winning each of these final eight games will be an extremely challenging task, though. At the same time, Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton will also drop more points.
This will all boil down to who can hold their nerve the most in the final stretch. Leeds’ home form has been sensational this campaign and those remaining fixtures – even Southampton – should take care of themselves.
The away games with Watford, Coventry and Middlesbrough will pose a different type of threat, but there is no reason why United cannot still be top of the division come the end of this run.
The hard work has been done, and now it is just a case of doing more than every other team in the chasing pack.
In other Leeds United news, Women’s manager Simon Wood has shared a “massive” admission following the win over York City Ladies.
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