MOT View: Leeds would be well-advised to heed ‘shocking’ warning from Paul Merson
Leeds United are desperate to finish their season on the pitch as initially intended, and rightly so.
In recent days we’ve heard from Whites hitman Tyler Roberts and The Athletic journalist Phil Hay, both of whom have stressed just who eager Marcelo Bielsa’s men are to earn a return to the Premier League under their own merit, rather than as a result of an algorithm handing it to them.
And that really is admirable – Leeds could be campaigning to end things now so that they can sneak their way back into the top flight, but instead there is a real hunger to do things with integrity.
Of course, if we do see a return to action in the near future, it will have to be behind closed doors, probably even at neutral venues.
But while The Athletic report that there is an appetite for that to happen, Paul Merson has issued a general warning to teams considering the option – and Leeds would be well advised to heed it.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “These players are used to playing in front of 30-40,000 people.
“When we used to play first team against the reserves or against the youth team, most of the time you used to get a runaround. It’s a different kind of game, it’s a real different kind of game.
“You watch results, it’ll be interesting. The results will be a right leveller.
“There’ll be some shocking scores.”
And shocking scores are just about the last thing that will Leeds want or need right now.
Seven points clear of the play-off places with nine games to go, you would expect the Whites to coast home from this point onwards.
But if last season taught us anything, it’s that nothing can be taken for granted at the business end of a promotion push.
In no way should Merson’s comments affect Leeds’ perspective on restarting the campaign, but they just go to show that Bielsa’s men will have to be at their very best if and when they do step back onto the pitch.
In other Leeds United news, Former Leeds ace shares three players he spoke to before leaving Elland Road in summer.