Phil Hay: Expert claims Leeds promotion rivals have been handed an edge in race for PL
Many fans have been up in arms about the fact that Leeds United are being forced to play last each week in the race for promotion.
The same happened last season when Sheffield United played first four times in the space of five crucial games that saw them pip Leeds to second place.
Marcelo Bielsa was asked about this in his post-match press conference on Thursday night and seemed completely non-plussed by it.
He said that Leeds had to win their games anyway so it made no difference.
However, Phil Hay has revealed that an expert in sports psychology thinks that it does.
In a piece in The Athletic Hay quoted Gary Bloom, a sports psychologist who is working with Oxford ahead of their play-off final this week.
Hay wrote: “According to Bloom, a staggered schedule highlights the difference between the ‘challenger state’ and the ‘threat state’, a psychological contrast in which one team looks in front of them and the other looks over their shoulder. On paper at least, West Brom and Brentford were being given an edge.
“‘The threat state can be summed up as: ‘They’re getting closer and closer’,’ Bloom tells The Athletic. ‘It has an impact both physiologically and psychologically. Your heart rate increases, you have more adrenaline flowing and your cortisol levels rise with the anxiety. You’re trying to avoid something rather than attacking something.
“’It’s only an advantage for Brentford if they keep winning games and keep the pressure on but playing first in this situation puts them in the challenger state, when they feel as if the team in front can be caught.'”
Brentford manager Thomas Frank used winning first to send a message to West Brom and Leeds this week, saying, “It’s a big win. It’s up to West Brom and Leeds to come up with an answer.”
Both teams did come up with the answer but Leeds will have to do it again on Sunday after both Brentford and West Brom get to throw their punches first again on Saturday.
All that Leeds can do is keep winning and looking at each match as it comes.
That’s obviously what Bielsa is doing and the one thing in Leeds’ favour is that when they’re on it, they’re the best team in the Championship.
The other factor is that it’s highly unlikely that Brentford keep winning.
Their previous longest winning run this season was three consecutive games. They’re now on a run of six wins in a row.
If they slip up then it hands Leeds a big advantage.
In other Leeds United news, Bielsa delivers fitness update on key Leeds player after worrying sight v Stoke