The 1-1 draw at home against West Brom on Saturday has derailed some of the momentum Leeds United were building up in their quest for automatic promotion. They are still the favourites to finish in the top two and have a healthy lead at the top of the Championship standings. However, the lead does not look unassailable for Sheffield United who are second and talk of Leeds winning the league by ten points looks a bit premature at the moment. Leeds are still expected to get promoted to the top flight and there is still some excitement about what they could do in the top flight. However, the plight of the promoted teams this season is a red herring for the Whites.
West Brom came to Elland Road on Saturday and made Leeds United toil to get a point at home to end the Whites’ long run of winning games on their soil this season.
Leeds are still sitting at the summit of the Championship but their lead has been cut down to three points and their buffer over teams outside the top two spots is eight points.
With eleven games remaining this season, Leeds are still the favourites to not only get automatic promotion but win the league on their way up to the top flight.
There is a lot of interest about what kind of approach Leeds would take if they get promoted, given how badly the three teams who got up from the Championship last season have been struggling in the Premier League this season.
Tony Mowbray, the West Brom boss who left Elland Road with a point on Saturday, is also intrigued by what Leeds could do once they guarantee promotion.
Spend £200m or get relegated by February – Mowbray’s message to Leeds United
Despite the 1-1 draw at home on Saturday, Leeds are still being backed to finish in the top two spots and get automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Mowbray is still convinced that Leeds are going up to the top flight this season and stressed the importance of the summer transfer window for Leeds.
He revealed that he already spoke to Daniel Farke about what the club could do in the summer and it’s importance given that survival could depend on it.
The West Brom boss pointed out that Leicester and Southampton were very good in the Championship last season but that has meant nothing in the Premier League.
He believes Leeds could need to spend close to £200m to give themselves a fighting chance of survival in the Premier League next season if they go up, or else it could get very bad very soon for the Whites.
“[Leeds] are very, very good. I’m sure in my mind they are going up”, Mowbray was quoted as saying by Birmingham Live.
“I think for this football club it’s about what they do in the summer. I had a chat with Daniel, how much are they going to spend? How are they going to survive?
“Southampton and Leicester were amazing teams last year in this league and they can’t win a game. So is that going to be Leeds next year?
“There’s always this thing at the back of your mind – ‘what are we going to do in the summer?’ Are Leeds going to spend £200 million just to give themselves half a chance?
“Or are they going to go with this team and probably get relegated by February? I don’t know the answers.”
Leeds fans will agree with the West Brom boss
Leeds supporters are excited about watching their team getting promoted in the coming months and getting to see them performing again in the Premier League next season.
However, the plight of Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton in the top flight has ensured that promotion celebrations do not last too long into the summer at Elland Road.
Leeds and their supporters are aware that they are in for a tough fight to survive in the first season back in the Premier League if they get promoted.
Can you name the missing player from these 10 famous Leeds United photos?
The gulf between the Championship and the Premier League has just widened over the years and it is becoming increasingly difficult for promoted teams to thrive in the Premier League.
Mowbray is right that it could take more than £200m to turn the Leeds squad into a Premier League-ready group and even then there is no guarantee that they will survive.
There are already question marks over whether it would be too much for Daniel Farke to keep Leeds in the Premier League and Mowbray’s red herring is one more warning for a Leeds fanbase who are desperate to get back to the top flight.
about 8 players to leave and if we sign Solomon a squad of 15 left and a squad of about 25 needed, a spend of about £130m still have to follow FFP rules