Neil Warnock and Sky Sports pundits predict Leeds United v Southampton playoff final clash
Neil Warnock, Francis Benali and Curtis Davies have made their predictions for the Championship playoff final clash between Leeds and Southampton.
The Whites made it to Wembley with a 4-0 win over Norwich at Elland Road following a goalless draw in the first-leg, while the Saints claimed a 3-1 win over West Brom at St Mary’s to book their place in the final.
The two sides met on the final day of the regular season with Russell Martin’s side earning a 2-1 victory, but when asked live on Sky Sports (17 May) for their predictions for the final the panel was totally split.
“I used to manage Leeds and I’ve been here watching Southampton with the supporters, so I’ll say a draw,” Warnock said, which incurred laughs from his fellow pundits.
“Then anyone on penalties. There’s no way I’m committing. Could you imagine me saying Southampton with Leeds fans, if I go to another game? No way. No chance.”
Benali then backed “his team” and predicted a Southampton victory at Wembley, before Davies gave his opinion.
“I’ll have to go the other way then. If Neil is being neutral and he [Benali] is picking Southampton, I’ll be Leeds,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be tough because of recent history and stuff like that, and Southampton are a very good team. But I’ll go Leeds.”
Leeds United v Southampton is the £100m+ game
If you had asked people before the season started most would have predicted that it would be Leeds, Southampton and Leicester going straight back up to the Premier League.
Ipswich have infiltrated that spot, but now Daniel Farke’s side have the chance to put themselves right back in the top flight, but they will have to be far better than they were on the final day of the campaign.
Farke will have to decide if he wants to be steady in defence and counter-attack against Southampton’s possession-based style, or if he wants to try and go toe-to-toe with them.
The team has got consecutive clean sheets and has found its goalscoring touch once again after a barren spell, and the fans will be raucous in London.
It won’t be easy, and this is arguably the most even playoff final there has been in a while. So it’s no surprise that the panel was split, and there will be plenty more of this to come in the build-up to the game.
In other Leeds news, Cresswell and Gelhardt are set to consider an Elland Road exit this summer if they club get back to the Premier League.
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