Simon Grayson makes ‘massive’ Leeds United admission as new promotion verdict shared
Leeds United will have received a “massive” psychological boost after leapfrogging Leicester City to go top of the Championship table, according to Simon Grayson.
Speaking to Football League World on Tuesday (26 March), the pundit said it’s a “remarkable turnaround” for the Foxes to see their lead at the top cut away, but he still believes they still have the quality to win games and retake control of the league.
Although he admitted that the Whites could have a “little blip” before the end of the campaign, he added that he hopes they earn promotion alongside Enzo Maresca’s side in what looks set to be an exciting final few weeks of the season, with Ipswich Town and Southampton also in the mix.
“It’s a remarkable turnaround to have that sort of 17 points cut away, it can be really tough to take,” said Grayson. “How you respond back from it is vital. A few weeks ago I said I could not see Leicester being caught and it was going to be one from Leeds, Ipswich, and Southampton who were going to get second, but now it’s certainly all four teams in the mix for getting the two automatic promotion spots.
“The psychological boost for Leeds going on top is massive. If you’re going to be surging to the top in a great run of form, the best time to do it is from around about now to the end of the season. The last thing you need to do is hit a real dodgy patch and you don’t pick it up again and get it going.
“But I think with Leicester, they’ve still got enough quality and still got enough about them to really give themselves an opportunity to win games and get back to the top of the division. But it’s going to be really entertaining and a real exciting finish to the season with all four teams.
“Even Leeds might have a little blip. Hopefully not because I’m a Leeds supporter and I don’t want to see that. In an ideal world, I want to see Leeds and Leicester given I played there for five or six years. They’re my two teams that I want to get promoted but it’s going to be an exciting end to the season and that’s what the Championship is all about.”
Leeds United well-placed in Championship promotion race
It’s been an excellent past few months for Leeds as their form in this calendar year saw them head into the international break at the top of the Championship.
They have been solid at the back and clinical in front of goal, while some of the sides around them have been faltering in their promotion bids.
Leicester wouldn’t have imagined they could lose top spot, let alone be at risk of dropping out of the automatic promotion places altogether, but that is the position they currently find themselves in.
Although Maresca will be confident that he can pick his players up in the final few weeks of the season and overtake the Whites with their game in hand, the pressure is well and truly on.
It will be interesting to see how Daniel Farke’s side react to becoming the new league leaders when they face Watford on Friday (29 March), where they will be looking to pick up another statement win.
In other Leeds United news, Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist reacted live on air to what a Whites star said.
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