Simon Jordan fires Sheffield United dig with new Leeds United ‘fear’
Leeds United have seriously lost momentum in the Championship promotion battle, with Daniel Farke’s men slipping from first to third.
The Whites have won just one of their last six games, but they have a major opportunity to turn their form around when they travel to Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
But Michael Carrick’s men are in resurgent form, having won three of their last four matches and will fancy their chances of landing a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Leeds could even remain third if they beat Middlesbrough, as Burnley and Sheffield United are facing Derby and Millwall, respectively, while Farke’s men clash with Boro.
Simon Jordan fires dig at Sheffield United in Leeds fear
The Whites’ poor run of form in recent weeks has left the Elland Road faithful worried that they could miss out on automatic promotion, which would see Burnley and Sheffield United book their spots in the top-flight instead.
| Championship table (top three) | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 1 Burnley | 40 | 43 | 84 |
| 2 Sheffield Utd | 40 | 26 | 83 |
| 3 Leeds | 40 | 51 | 82 |
Simon Jordan agreed, saying on TalkSPORT (8 April): “I fear that Leeds are going to finish third.
“It’s pressure, [Leeds are] by far a bigger club than those two clubs [Sheffield United and Burnley] put together. Those two clubs don’t amount [to Leeds]. Nowhere near with respect. Sheffield United aren’t even the biggest club in Sheffield.”
Championship fixture list may have handed Leeds advantage
Leeds are currently their own worst enemy in the promotion battle, as they have dropped points in games that they should have won in recent weeks.
Farke’s men were bitterly disappointed when relegation candidates Portsmouth beat them 1-0 on 9 March, and the West Yorkshire giants then went on to draw with Queens Park Rangers, Swansea, and Luton, who all reside in the bottom half of the Championship table.
Meanwhile, Burnley have not lost in the second tier since a defeat to Millwall in early November, while Sheffield United are still above Leeds despite being beaten by Oxford on Saturday.
But if Leeds can remain within touching distance of both the Clarets and the Blades, then they have every chance of breaking back into the automatic promotion spots as Scott Parker’s side host Chris Wilder’s men on Easter Monday.
That fixture guarantees that at least one of the Whites’ closest promotion rivals will drop points at a crucial stage in the run-in and could prove decisive as Farke’s men battle for a spot in next season’s Premier League.