LeedsLive journo shares what Leeds United cannot afford, makes ‘battle for the ages’ verdict
Leeds United “cannot afford” to let the Championship title race become solely about Leicester City and Ipswich Town, who are engaging in a “battle for the ages”.
That is the view of LeedsLive journalist James Smailes, who described Saturday’s (23 December) clash with Ipswich Town at Elland Road as potentially “season-defining”.
Leeds have an impressive 42 points from 22 matches but still trail the second-place Tractor Boys by 10 points, while the gap to table-topping Leicester is at 13.
With Ipswich facing Leicester on Boxing Day just three days after the Leeds fixture, Smailes was at pains to press home the importance of the next week.
“Leeds United face a game which come May could be considered as season-defining with so much at stake this Saturday against Ipswich Town,” he wrote for LeedsLive (20 December).
“Leicester City and Ipswich Town are shaping up for a promotion battle for the ages with both already boasting over 50 points in Leicester’s case that could reach 60 by the halfway stage of the campaign.
“That’s just not supposed to happen in the Championship where any team can beat another on their day and using any of the second tier’s fixtures as part of your accumulator is as sensible as Turkeys voting for Christmas. What Leeds don’t want, and what they indeed cannot afford to let happen, is for the script to be solely about the Foxes and the Tractor Boys.
“This two-hander has to become a three-way battle for supremacy. The first steps to ensuring that is the case begin at Elland Road on Saturday lunchtime. Victory for Leeds cuts the gap on Ipswich to seven points, with Kieran McKenna’s side handed a metaphorical lump of coal for Christmas with Leeds to play on Saturday and then Leicester to face on Boxing Day.”
Crunch time
As families across the world get ready to gorge on food and exchange presents, Leeds will be hoping for a few gifts of their own over the coming week in what is a huge seven days in the Championship.
The first part, of course, is to give themselves a gift. After taking just a single point from fixtures against Sunderland and Coventry City, the onus is on them to really turn it on when it matters against a flying Ipswich side.
If, and it is a monumental if, they can do that then all of a sudden the pressure is on a little bit when the Tractor Boys tackle the Foxes in what is a mouthwatering Boxing Day clash.
Theoretically, Leeds could be within four points of Ipswich by the end of Boxing Day. But we’re not dealing in theoretically, the proof will be in the (Christmas?) pudding. It is all awfully exciting isn’t it?
In other Leeds United news, a prominent doctor says one player could be out for months.