Jermaine Beckford sends new Leeds United warning before Sunderland clash
Jermaine Beckford has remained cautious about Leeds United before Sunderland travel to Elland Road on Monday.
Daniel Farke’s side sit second in the Championship behind Sheffield United but have played a game less than their promotion rivals.
A clash against the Black Cats on 17 February provides a chance to reclaim top spot of the second tier but will be far from an easy task in LS11.
Given how important this clash could prove to be, former striker Beckford has reminded fans to not get too carried away early.
Jermaine Beckford urges Leeds United not to get carried away
The Whites have had an excellent campaign to this point and it will be key to maintain their form until the end of the season to earn a spot in the Premier League.
There is still plenty of time to go in the Championship and games remaining which could have an impact on the promotion credentials at Elland Road.
As a result, Beckford is remaining cautious ahead of the Sunderland clash and is urging other fans and his old side to follow suit after what happened last season.
Speaking live on talkSPORT (17 February, 7:37am), he said: “As a Leeds fan and an ex-Leeds player, we can’t get too carried away with it.
“We saw what it was like last season with Ipswich leapfrogging Leeds. You look at how well Southampton did in the playoff final, it was disappointing for the Leeds fans.
“We had a nice little gap in terms of the points advantage towards the back end of the season especially. If you start getting excited with how many points ahead you are, you take your eye off the ball and we can’t afford for that to happen again.”
Leeds United can’t afford to dwell on Wembley defeat
Last season ended in nightmare fashion for Farke and his side with a 1-0 defeat at Wembley to the Saints which ultimately condemned the Whites to another year in the Championship.
This saw many key stars including Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter depart Elland Road, leaving many fans far from excited for the season to come.
Regardless of this, Leeds have been arguably the best side in the division this campaign and are deservedly at the top end of the table.
The momentum that has been maintained this season needs to continue further and given that just 14 games are remaining, there is every chance that that is possible.
Although what Beckford is saying is correct, the Whites can’t dwell on what happened last season and have to focus on themselves in the here and now.
Given how positive this year has been up until now, the hoodoo of last season has to be forgotten and built on to secure promotion while the opportunity is still there.