Leeds United will be looking to get back into the Championship’s top two after the international break.
Former Leeds United player Ben Parker has boldly claimed that Marcelo Bielsa needs to win six out of his side’s last eight Championship games in order to earn promotion.
At this moment in time, the Whites are sitting third in the table, one point behind second-placed Sheffield United and a further five points behind leaders Norwich.
After the international break, Leeds will partake in a number of tricky fixtures, including their trip to play-off chasers Preston and their home tie against Sheffield Wednesday. But arguably their most difficult match will be their last home game of the season against free-scoring Aston Villa.
Speaking to the LS11’s Official YouTube Channel, Parker believes 18 points in these final few months of the season could prove to be that promotion clincher.
“Pressure does funny things at this stage of the season,” Parker told LS11. “Yes, Sheffield United haven’t conceded goals in seven matches, [but] that doesn’t continue. Like it might go to 10, an extra three games or an extra four games. But to do it another eight games, that’s another 15 games they’re not going to concede a goal.
“Everything comes out of the club is, ‘we concentrate on ourselves’ – I think we can get enough points to get promoted. If we win six out of the last eight, it gets us to 91 points, I think. I don’t think there has been a team that hasn’t got promoted automatically on 91 points.”
There is no doubt that Bielsa’s side can win six out of eight games. But there is one thing doing it midway through the season and another doing it when you need it most.
It is highly likely that the race for the automatics could go to the wire, with only a couple of games resulting in a big shift in the top three places.
If Leeds don’t earn promotion via the top two then they will enter the dreaded play-offs. More than likely, they will finish in third place, which means they will come against the team that ends up in sixth.
At this moment in time, in-form Villa are occupying those final play-off spots, with Dean Smith’s side winning four games on the bounce in recent weeks, including thrashing Middlesbrough and Derby.
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