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“There’s no excuse for Leeds”- Jobi McAnuff’s Staggering Prediction on why Leeds United could MISS OUT on Promotion.
At the start of the month, Leeds United fans had a reason to smile as they looked at the Championship table, but now it serves as a stark reminder of the mounting pressure on the team heading into the final stretch.
Leeds, along with Sheffield United and Burnley, are currently taking a breather in the intense race for promotion.
For Leeds, the stakes are incredibly high. If they fail to secure promotion, they could face another fire sale of their top players to stay financially afloat, especially as parachute payments are significantly reduced in the third year.
Daniel Farke’s job would also be under threat, as he was brought in specifically to gain promotion.
A second consecutive failure could force The 49ers into making a tough decision. Jobi McAnuff believes it’s very much possible Leeds could miss out on promotion.
Why Jobi McAnuff thinks Leeds United might not go up
Leeds fans don’t need reminding of last season’s near-miss. After falling short of the top two, Leeds found themselves in the same position as Burnley in the 2023-24 campaign, striving for automatic promotion but ultimately finishing third.
The disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion led to a painful playoff defeat against Southampton at Wembley. McAnuff argues that it’s now a case of “top two or nothing” for Leeds.
“Burnley are better suited to handle the pressure because they haven’t been at the top all season, especially with the goals they’ve scored,” he said. “But there’s no excuse for Leeds, and no excuse for Sheffield United either.”
“Leeds will feel the weight of this the most, given their recent play-off history. It’s vital they finish in the top two,” McAnuff added during a discussion on Sky Sports’ EFL Essential podcast.
Points total if reverse fixtures yielded the same result for Leeds
Once the international break ends, Leeds will embark on their eight-game battle for a top-two finish, starting with a home game against Swansea at Elland Road—an encounter they should realistically win comfortably.
Leeds have a relatively favorable run-in, though no game in the Championship can ever be considered easy. Five of their next eight opponents—Swansea, Plymouth, Luton, Stoke, and Oxford—currently sit in the bottom third of the table.
If Leeds were to replicate their results from the reverse fixtures against these teams, they would secure an additional 20 points, bringing their total to 100—well above the typical promotion threshold.
