The timing of the friendly says a lot about Leeds United's relegation mindset
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
11:46, 02 Apr 2026Updated 11:55, 02 Apr 2026
The Leeds United hierarchy have lined up an appetising summer schedule
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The Leeds United hierarchy have lined up an appetising summer schedule(Image: Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Leeds United have always held belief they can buck the promotion trend of the last two years and secure Premier League safety - but the final seven games will test their nerve.
The Whites sit four points above the relegation zone with the bottom four clubs still to play, two of them at home. Daniel Farke remains “very confident” that his team will get the required points, going as far as stating that Leeds do not deserve to stay up if they don’t.
While belief abounds within, this seemingly echoed by onlookers outside of Leeds, the fanbase itself is naturally twitchy. No goals in four Premier League games and no win in six has let the air out of the balloon. Suddenly, these winnable run-in matches look less so.
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Leeds return to action with an FA Cup trip to West Ham United which is as much of a relegation psychological battle as it is a quarter-final tie. That Leeds not only score but put in a showing that offers confidence is vital, at least in the eyes of many supporters.
They will be far more reluctant to part with their cash to watch Leeds play on the East coast of the USA this pre-season should United become a Championship side once again.
Clubs have to prepare their summer tours in advance, despite not necessarily knowing which league they will compete in next season. Yet the scheduling of the friendly against Manchester United in Dublin points to Leeds’ survival confidence.
A general view of Croke Park
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A general view of Croke Park(Image: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
The 82,300-seater Croke Park will host its first football - or soccer - game since November 2009 when the two rivals face off on the evening of Wednesday, August 12. While that is 10 days before the start of the Premier League season, it is just two days before the Championship campaign begins.
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Should United go down or if Leeds make the Community Shield final, the match will be called off. This is all hypothetical though, and Leeds might not have this problem at all.
Farke believes 40 points will certainly be enough to stay up this season and with two home games against Wolves and Burnley amidst a tasty run-in schedule, Leeds have destiny in their own hands.
This will be what is feeding the confidence inside the club, which has led to the close proximity of the Manchester United friendly to the start of the Championship season. Whether this clouded any naivety will only be told come the end of May.