Saturday’s play-off tussle could be crucial in the seasons of Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United.
As if the atmosphere surrounding Saturday’s crunch Yorkshire derby clash between Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday wasn’t heated enough, Owls right-back Sam Hutchinson has chosen the eve of this titanic play-off tussle to remind his rivals that they’re not particularly well liked by the footballing public, the Yorkshire Post reports.
As it stands, only goal difference separates fifth placed Leeds and sixth placed Wednesday in the Championship table as two of English football’s most historic clubs dream of bringing an end to their overdue absence from the top flight.
Yorkshire derbies certainly seem to count for more than bragging rights this season with Huddersfield and Barnsley also flying high.
And Wednesday defender Hutchinson, who started his career at Chelsea, just one of Leeds’ many traditional rivals, has stoked the flames somewhat ahead of Saturday’s clash in front of the Sky cameras.
“Of course the fans feel it that bit more. And no one likes Leeds, do they? Chelsea certainly didn’t,” the 27-year-old told the Yorkshire Post. “No one likes them, for some reason.”
“No, seriously, it will be a great game. It is a derby [at Leeds] and that brings an extra bit of passion.
“Leeds and Huddersfield are the surprise package that we were last season. You never know what you will get from both of them. But they have just carried on winning games and that puts pressure on us.”
Garry Monk’s side have only won two of their last five games but doing the double over their Yorkshire neighbours, and last year’s play-off finalists, would lay down a huge marker for the final weeks of the campaign.
Yet, after losing to Huddersfield and Cardiff, not to mention drawing at Ipswich last time out, there has been a sense of vulnerability around Leeds in recent weeks – something they cannot allow to repeat itself against a dangerous Wednesday side.
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