Daniel Farke admits Leeds United 'embarrassment' but retains hope of Championship drama repeat — YEP 30/4/24
Leeds United’s fate may no longer be in their hands but Daniel Farke has no interest in discussing the play-offs until Leeds are mathematically consigned to them - and for good reason.
By Joe Donnohue
Farke chose not to speak about the play-offs in the wake of
Leeds’ 4-0 defeat by QPR last Friday, but did acknowledge the result was an
‘embarrassing’ episode for his side. Damaging as it was to automatic promotion
hopes, last weekend at Loftus Road was a perfect example of why the league
Leeds find themselves battling to get out of is so revered.
The Championship is widely regarded as one of the most
entertaining leagues, season in season out; this year has been no different.
High drama during the regular season, like last Friday’s meeting in West
London, is often exceeded at the play-off stage, such is the nature of what’s
at stake - a place in English football’s heralded top flight and annual sums
surpassing £100 million in broadcast television revenue and centralised league
payments, let alone the merchandising, gate and commercial income opportunities.
For all of its faults, modern football has one thing right:
the play-offs - agony and ecstasy side by side, so perfectly juxtaposed. Leeds
fans are likely to disagree on account of that familiar agony, five times out
of five they’ve suffered, but there is much to be said for the neutral. Often,
the Championship’s season finale at Wembley Stadium goes to extra time and
penalties, where one kick can be worth hundreds of millions. It’s the kind of
lottery teams with automatic promotion ambitions strive all season long to
avoid.
Sometimes, though, much like this season, the drama of the
play-offs plays second fiddle to that of the regular campaign. Three teams,
occasionally four, going hammer and tongs for 46 matchdays, all coming undone
at the same time, all likely to finish on points tallies north of 90, is
something the Championship has never seen before, at least not in the last 25
years.
Leeds’ current predicament relies on two teams doing them
favours and getting the business done themselves on the final day - it is
admittedly a long shot, but by no means impossible.
Take the 2016/17 season for example, when Brighton and Hove
Albion squandered a seven-point lead on title challengers Newcastle United
after 43 games. The Seagulls lost two of their three remaining fixtures, while
Newcastle with promotion secured and an unrealistic shot at the title, won
their 44th and 45th games, setting up a tantalising final day, but one Brighton
still had the upper hand in with their one-point lead.
Veteran striker Glenn Murray converted a spot-kick for the
south coast club shortly after the hour mark, while their opponents Aston Villa
had a man sent off. At the same time, Newcastle were 2-0 up on Barnsley but
still finishing second.
Enter Jack Grealish, the Villans’ poster boy, on minute 89.
Squeezing a shot underneath Brighton stopper David Stockdale, Villa Park
celebrated while Brighton were left shell-shocked. News broke at St James’ Park
as Dwight Gayle was applying the finishing touches to a 3-0 win, a peculiar
second wave of celebrations reverberating around the ground as the players
returned to the centre circle for kick-off.
Newcastle’s squad remained on the pitch at full-time
awaiting the whistle in the West Midlands, which duly arrived to confirm the
Magpies Championship winners.
If Coventry City do not get a result against Ipswich
tonight, Leeds’ chances of automatic promotion diminish further but they will
not be extinguished, and that is why Farke keeps faith. Leeds will still be in
touching distance of Kieran McKenna’s men on the final day due to their
superior goal difference, no matter the result at the CBS Arena.
Following Newcastle’s defeat to Ipswich on matchday 43 back
in 2017, the gap to first place opened to seven points, a surely insurmountable
tally given there were only nine on offer. Leeds’ deficit on the final day
could be one, it could be zero but it will not be greater than three, and for
that, hope remains, even if it is the faintest slither.
