Leeds United ‘face significant disadvantage’ next season as full details shared
Leeds United are still on course to earn automatic promotion back to the Premier League, despite a mini wobble of sorts in recent weeks.
Leeds were held 2-2 by QPR at Loftus Road last time out and have taken just five points from the past 12 on offer in the Championship.
Daniel Farke‘s side need no reminding of how the pressure can get to teams during the final run-in, having slipped into the playoffs towards the end of last season.
Should the same happen in the final two months of this season and Leeds again miss out on promotion, they face a potential disadvantage next season.
Leeds face £30m disadvantage next season
First and foremost, Leeds remain the favourites to return to the Premier League next season as per the latest Opta supercomputer.
That said, Sheffield United – deducted two points before a ball was kicked – are now level on points, while Burnley are only two points back in third place.
And according to Joe Donnohue of Leeds Live [20 March], Leeds face a “nightmare” scenario if they fail to go up once again.
| Fixture | Result |
| West Brom (h) | D 1-1 |
| Portsmouth (a) | L 1-0 |
| Millwall (h) | W 2-0 |
| QPR (a) | D 2-2 |
That is because teams dropping into the Championship – almost certainly Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town – are allocated 55 per cent of the £95million dished out by the Premier League.
With Luton Town looking likely to go down again, and Burnley and Sheffield United going up at Leeds’ expense in the worst-case scenario, that will leave the teams coming down with a £30m advantage.
Leeds United’s remaining Championship fixtures
There are plenty of ifs, buts and maybes, of course, but Leeds would only be fourth favourites to return to the Premier League next season.
Farke will be focused on ensuring that is not something United have to worry about by taking his side up via the top two come May.
Leeds‘ fate is in their own hands, with games against Swansea City, Luton Town, Middlesbrough, Preston North End, Oxford United, Stoke City, Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle to come.
It will not be easy, but there is absolutely no reason why the Whites cannot hold off at least one of Sheffield United or Burnley – ideally both – to return to where they belong.