Could Leeds United end up finishing second this season?

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No club in the Championship has had a real firm grip on second place so far this season.

A run of one defeat in their last eight league games has propelled Leeds United to sixth in the Championship.

The Whites had slipped to 10th in November but, after losing 4-1 to Wolves on November 22nd, they embarked on a run of five wins in six and fired themselves into the play-off places as a result.

Their charge has been halted slightly by defeat at Birmingham City and a home draw against Nottingham Forest which has been the story of the season for Thomas Christiansen’s side.

The West Yorkshire club began the campaign losing just one of their first nine matches, winning six of them, and they were top of the league before the nine matches that followed yielded just two wins and seven defeats.

Leeds cannot afford to go on another run like that, but they are not the only team whose season has followed a similar pattern.

Cardiff City have been consistent for most the season but have since lost four games in a row and have dropped out of the automatic promotion places. Bristol City also started strongly but they two have now lost their last two matches and have now dropped to fourth.

Sheffield United were second in November, but a run of one win in nine has seen them drop out of the play-offs, and Aston Villa have had a topsy-turvy season to say the least. No club has consistently been able to keep hold of second place so Leeds must surely feel they have a great opportunity.

Tough times for Neil Warnock whose Cardiff team have lost four games in a row.

If Leeds can strengthen in the January window, particularly up front and at left-back then they can push on to the next level and challenge for automatic promotion. They are only six points behind Derby County who currently occupy second.

Most of the Leeds players experienced the heartache of missing out on the play-offs despite being in the top six for most of last season. That has often proved a learning curve for clubs and it is something the likes of Bristol City, Cardiff City and Aston Villa have nott experienced as a group under their current managers.

There is no doubt that Leeds have enough quality in their squad and a lack of consistency from the rest of the clubs below runaway leaders Wolves, means second is wide open and up for grabs.