Leeds United face ‘incredibly weird’ Southampton situation in trip to Middlesbrough – Phil Hay
Leeds United could now find themselves in the “incredibly weird scenario” of being level on points with fourth-placed Southampton the next time they are in action, says Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist speculated on The Square Ball episode on 15 April that after the Whites were beaten at home by Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (13 April) the Saints will play twice before Daniel Farke’s side are next due at the Riverside next Monday (22 April).
Russell Martin’s side looked to have been cut adrift from the top three until recently, but with two games in hand on Leeds and Ipswich, and one on Leicester, they could be right back in the mix after all of the leading pack started to falter, with Southampton taking on Preston North End on Tuesday (16 April) before travelling to Cardiff at the weekend.
Hay said (23m 15s): “We might well have the incredibly weird scenario of Leeds going to Middlesbrough with Southampton level on points with them, and you just think, ‘How on earth does that happen?’
“And oddly, I think it was only last week that Farke was saying, ‘I don’t think Southampton are totally out of this,’ and looking at the gap you’re thinking it’s hard to see how that’s going to happen.
“But then somebody in the press conference did ask him, ‘In that case you must expect that somebody in the top three, or a couple of clubs, are either going to collapse from here or are going to find it very difficult to get points on the board?’ And that is exactly what’s happened.
“I don’t think Southampton have in any way been incredible either in their performances or their results, it’s just that what’s going on above them is not great at the moment.”
Leeds United, Leicester and Ipswich looking over their shoulder
After looking like they would all be battling each other to finish with record points totals it is suddenly looking like the Whites, Foxes and Blues are scared to seize the initiative at the top of the promotion fight.
After Farke took Leeds United on a two-month winning run in the Championship through January and February to surge back into the title race it looked like promotion was nearly a given, especially heading into the international break having taken 10 points from 12 in March as well.
But that gap seems to have interrupted the momentum and the pressure is clearly getting to the teams at the top.
Suddenly Patrick Bamford’s scoring form has dried up, Junior Firpo’s burst of assists are long-past, injuries have forced Farke to shuffle his options, and the midfield’s lack of goals is being highlighted as an issue as it is now one point from nine with a single goal scored.
But while it seems like the wheels have come off the margins are still so tight that had a frustrating goalless draw with Sunderland seen a clear penalty for a foul and a handball on Joe Rodon been given and dispatched the Whites would be top instead of third.
In that context having Southampton back up alongside Leeds would leave two from four facing the disappointment of a drop into the play-offs.
And while it had started to look immaterial the final-day clash with the Saints at Elland Road is now beginning to appear a huge occasion once more.
In other Leeds United news, a finance expert has admitted it is “scary” to see how the club “lost control” of the spending at Elland Road.
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