Former Leeds United midfielder David Prutton has suggested that the Whites remain in a very strong position to secure promotion when the season resumes, but he has urged caution not to get too carried away in thinking they already have the job done.
Marcelo Bielsa’s are in a very healthy position ahead of the final nine matches of the campaign, with Leeds having given themselves a promising seven-point cushion over third placed Fulham before the Championship campaign was suspended.
However, Leeds were also in a relatively strong position heading into the last few months of last season, but they ultimately fell short in the final weeks of the campaign, suffering defeats against Wigan Athletic and Brentford to allow Sheffield United to leap frog them in the table.
Quiz: The 15-question Leeds United higher or lower quiz – Can you get 15/15?
Speaking in his latest column for the Yorkshire Evening Post, Prutton suggested that Leeds whilst remaining strong favourites from everyone outside of Elland Road, they can not afford to get carried away and just focus on getting over the line.
He said: “Do I think Leeds will romp it? When we have seen Leeds at their very best over the last full season and second elongated season, they have at times blown teams away.
“I think Leeds fans would take efficiency and effectiveness over entertainment, which is obviously entertainment they are going to have to take in from afar if that gets them promotion.
“I have done podcasts and chats with different pundits that I know and then ones that I have not worked with so much before.
“Everyone I have had the pleasure of chatting to seems adamant that Leeds and West Brom are going to do it automatically and that appears to be the general consensus.
“But the absolutely beautiful thing about football and the beautiful agony about it is that we can all sit here and say yes we will do it, but it still takes monumental effort between now and the last game of the season for them to actually get it done.”
The verdict
Prutton is right to try and perhaps reign in some of thoughts and feelings that Leeds have already done enough to secure promotion, with the Whites holding a seven-point cushion to Fulham in third place, but as he says there is still a lot of football left to be played.
It will be vital that the Whites get off to a strong start in their first couple of matches so that they can avoid any potential talk over them being affected by what has happened off the field over the last few months.
Bielsa will be keen to show that his side have learned lessons from the run in last term, and the rest that they have had over the last few months could actually see them avoid the sort of burnout they showed in the closing matches of last season.