Alan Shearer and Micah Richards clash over Leeds United playoff verdict in Southampton admission
Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have clashed over whether Leeds United or Southampton will win promotion to the Premier League this season.
Daniel Farke’s side missed out on automatic promotion from the Championship at the hands of Leicester City and Ipswich Town, with a final-day defeat to the Saints ensuring they would have to settle for a place in the playoffs.
The Whites will face Norwich City in the semi-finals while Russell Martin’s Southampton will play West Brom over two legs and Shearer believes that the Saints will have the momentum to get promoted this term.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football (6 May, 31:49) he said: “Southampton, they’re on a good run and I would think Southampton. It’s not always that easy though, is it? There’s always a story that comes out of the playoffs.”
Richards disagreed saying: “I’m going to go, Leeds, I just think in the last couple of weeks they have underperformed. They went on that amazing run didn’t they and then sort of fizzled out a little bit.
“But the reason why I say Leeds is in the forward areas, if they get it right I believe they have the most quality. The playoffs are a completely different thing, another chance.”
Will Leeds United or Southampton win promotion to the Premier League?
Richards is right in his assessment that Leeds United have faltered at the worst possible time. Farke’s side had been so impressive for so much of 2024, but they have looked miles off of the pace since the international break.
The attack that usually looked so threatening with the likes of Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville running riot has appeared less potent and the backline has started to leak goals more regularly.
However, the playoffs are a completely different game as Shearer suggested and all bets are off heading into the final games of the campaign. Anything could happen and Leeds still have an excellent chance of going up.
Hopefully, they can find a way to navigate the playoffs and book their place in the Premier League. Otherwise, there could be an exodus of players at Elland Road if the Whites have to balance the books once again.
In other Leeds United news, Junior Firpo has been destroyed for an “embarrassing” incident in the Whites’ defeat to Southampton
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