Leeds United are involved in a three-way fight for two automatic promotion spots with Sheffield United and Burnley. The Whites are at the summit of the Championship table and a relatively easier run-in has led to everyone tipping them to get the job done despite their recent patchy form. However, one of these three teams will have to play in the playoffs and Don Goodman has made a prediction that fans of that club would not love.
The Whites have eight games left in the season to secure automatic promotion and they will hope to get back to form when they host Swansea at home a week from Saturday.
Leeds United dropped into the playoffs last season despite amassing 90 points and failed to get promoted after losing the playoff final against Southampton at Wembley.
The Whites are desperate to ensure that they earn automatic promotion this season and after what Goodman has said, they would be fighting harder to avoid dropping into the playoff spots.
Don Goodman makes an honest but grim promotion prediction
Leeds became the first club to score 90 points but not get promoted to the Premier League in a quarter-century and many felt that they were unlucky to drop into the playoffs.
Their defeat against Southampton was even more heartbreaking given how good they were last season but Goodman feels a similar thing could happen this season as well.
He stressed the third-placed team will likely be overwhelmed by disappointment and will fail to get promoted through the playoffs at the end of the season.
“When you look at Leeds and what happened last season, 90 points but losing the play-offs, honestly there’s a little part of me that thinks the team that misses out won’t get promoted through the play-offs”, Goodman said on the EFL Essential Podcast.
“The disappointment will be overwhelming. For these three teams, the one that misses out I would be worried for in the playoffs.”
Leeds United supporters know the feeling
Last season’s heartbreak is still fresh in the memories of Leeds supporters who do not want to go through the playoffs this season.
Leeds are focused on earning automatic promotion as even the players do not want to experience the emotional rigmarole of the playoffs this time around.
Can you name the Leeds game these 10-goal celebrations are from?
The club have a terrible record in the playoffs. In recent years, Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds lost in the semi-finals and Farke’s team experienced defeat in the final hurdle.
Leeds fans would prefer if they get the job done without any drama by finishing in the top two just like Bielsa did when he won the Championship in 2020.
