Mick McCarthy makes ‘fabulous’ Leeds United promotion admission live on talkSPORT after win
Mick McCarthy believes Leeds United could still finish in the automatic promotion places in the Championship following the Whites’ win over Preston North End.
Daniel Farke’s side managed to claim all three points at Elland Road on Sunday (21 January) thanks to Joel Piroe’s late penalty, having fallen behind after only 70 seconds when Will Keane slotted home from close range.
While it was far from the Whites’ most convincing display of the season, McCarthy believes the manner of the win will have given Farke’s team a much-needed boost while also helping their chances of a return to the Premier League.
Speaking on talkSPORT (21 January, 19:23) he said: “They [Leeds] could be still in the top two. There’s no doubt about it and winning that game today, the way that they won it right at the very end, that will be a great bonus for them, a great boost for everybody.
“I do think Bamford is a big thing for you. I don’t know what centre-forwards you’ve got, but I think Bamford when he’s right at it and fully fit, he’s been a really good player for you, he’s been injured quite a bit but he’s come back in.
“I think you need him fit and firing on all cylinders or you need somebody else who can play if he’s not doing that. The rest of the team you’ve got great movement and great pace in the team and I love Gray, I think he’s fabulous.”
Huge three points
As McCarthy suggested, the three points alone would have done wonders to the morale in the Leeds United dressing room, but the manner of the win in the closing stages will likely act as a huge boost for the remainder of the campaign.
While plenty of other teams in the championship play remarkable free-flowing football, Leeds’ main goal is always to win rather than entertain. They managed to do both on Sunday, but it was the three points that ultimately mattered in the long run.
The important thing for Farke’s side now is building on that display as too often this season they have struggled to back up one good performance with another immediately after as was the case against Preston previously following the win over Ipswich.
Hopefully, the Whites will manage to claim all three points against Norwich on Wednesday (24 January) before backing it up with an FA Cup fourth-round win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday (27 January).
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