Leeds United
Daniel Farke. (Credit: Imago)
Leeds United will be in an FA Cup quarter-final clash against West Ham later today. However, survival in the Premier League remains the primary focus at Elland Road.
Daniel Farke’s side have a huge opportunity to reach Wembley this season by beating West Ham. However, the Leeds manager is aware that avoiding relegation is far more important.
Most Read on The Leeds Press
The Leeds manager is likely to field a rotated team at the London Stadium and is not expected to risk any player who is not completely fit and ready to play.
The Whites sit 15th in the Premier League table, four points clear of the relegation zone. However, a proposed relegation rule change would put them in massive jeopardy.
Leeds United should be delighted that no such rule exists this season
TalkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham has proposed introducing relegation playoffs in the Premier League to add more drama to the end of the season
He believes the relegation race has become a dull affair, and introducing a playoff would not only make it more exciting but also increase the jeopardy for more than a handful of teams.
Durham said: “Play-offs are great, I think we’re all agreed on that. Premier League relegation is usually a little bit dull.
“So, how do we energise it? How do we make it entertaining? Bring in the brinkmanship. Imagine the drama of Premier League relegation play-offs.
“If you brought it in this season, imagine a play-off final, Wembley Stadium, West Ham against Spurs, winner stays up, loser goes down.
“That is global. Universal. That’s the galaxy interested in that game. All of a sudden, you’ve brought in something, and there would be no turning back.
“Why would anybody, with any brains, say no to this? How we haven’t done it already, I don’t know.
“Premier League relegation play-offs have to come in as soon as possible.”
The Whites need to take charge of their destiny
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-(--header-height)" dir="auto" data-turn-id="a62eb317-9451-40f3-add6-a7cc5af4eea2" data-testid="conversation-turn-15" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn="user">
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-WEB:639754ff-35b0-4d4b-a66a-e95a063833b0-7" data-testid="conversation-turn-16" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant">
Leeds have somehow managed to keep a bit of breathing room above the relegation zone, despite going six Premier League games without a win.
Wolves and Burnley look all but certain to drop, while West Ham, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest haven’t quite done enough to drag Leeds fully into trouble just yet.
Premier League Table – Bottom Six (Relegation Battle Overview)
Pos Club P W D L GF GA GD Pts
15 Leeds United 31 7 12 12 37 48 -11 33
16 Nottingham Forest 31 8 8 15 31 43 -12 32
17 Tottenham Hotspur 31 7 9 15 40 50 -10 30
18 West Ham United 31 7 8 16 36 57 -21 29
19 Burnley 31 4 8 19 33 61 -28 20
20 Wolverhampton Wanderers 31 3 8 20 24 54 -30 17
That said, things could shift quickly. West Ham are beginning to show signs of form again, and Spurs will be hoping Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival sparks a turnaround.
If that happens, the pressure will soon be back on Leeds. They need to start picking up wins and edge closer to safety.
They can’t keep depending on other teams slipping up; at some point, Leeds have to take matters into their own hands before it’s too late.