Kevin Blackwell explains why Daniel Farke's Leeds United can do wh at the class of 2006 couldn't — YEP 16/5/24

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By Will Jackson

Leeds United take on Norwich City in the Championship play-off semi-finals second leg this evening

Daniel Farke's Leeds United are perfectly poised to kick on and end the club's play-off curse, says former Whites manager Kevin Blackwell. After missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of the regular Championship campaign, Leeds played out a hard fought 0-0 draw against Norwich City in the play-off semi-final first leg on Sunday.

That sets up tonight's meeting at Elland Road with the two sides knowing just one goal could be the difference as they both push to reach the play-off final at Wembley Stadium later this month. Farke's side know what's on the line then this evening and the pressure is well and truly on.

However, Blackwell is convinced that United's season will not come to an end this evening. The 65-year-old, who has been working as a technical director at Polish club Lechia Gdansk this season, believes that if Leeds can get over the line against the Canaries, they can go all the way and win promotion through the play-offs at the sixth time of asking.

“Leeds have got to get over Norwich, but if Elland Road is like I know it can be, Norwich have got a job on their hands," Blackwell told the Mirror ahead of tonight's contest. "I think they’re in a good position, if they can get over all this outside noise. They’ve got to believe this is their year or there’s no point going out there.

“Leeds, if they get past Norwich, I think Wembley will suit them. They’ll be in a lot better position to overcome this play-off curse and I think they can finally do it.”

Of course, Blackwell knows a thing or two about play-off campaigns having led the Whites to the Championship play-off final back in 2006. The Whites lost 3-0 against Watford in Cardiff on that occasion and that was the club’s second of five failed attempts to win promotion through the EFL play-offs.

The most recent heartbreak came in 2019 when Marcelo Bielsa's side fell short against Derby County in the semi-finals, while further disappointment came in 2009 and 2008, with defeats coming against Millwall and Doncaster Rovers.

“I think Leeds are in better shape to go up than we were because they have a much-more settled unit,” Blackwell said while comparing the current Leeds crop to the one he managed between June 2004 and September 2006. "People forget how bad those times were and there was a lot of uncertainty.

“For me, the achievement of what we did is far better than anything anyone else did, even now. If you look at Leeds now, this team is stronger. The club has kept more of their Premier League players and that didn’t happen with us.

Specifically on the 2006 play-off campaign, he added: “Things built up for us, and I don’t know if it was the curse or not, but it all went against us come the final.”

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