Why I think we can catch Leeds

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Point for point, we are better than them.
If you add in the 2 point deduction (which is relevant here) and remove the 6 points they got from our games so that we compare both team's points gained from all the other opposition, we would have collected 5 points more than them. They won't be gettint any more points from us, so future PPG is now very relevant.
Yesterday's 'slip' at home to WBA, and our continued ability to get results (best away form in the league) brought this right into focus.
How sweet would it be for us to snatch the title from their already entitled hands...and for Burnley to pip them to second!!

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Yep Leeds aren't as infallible as some on here like to make out.

 

[BiggerBladeThanThou]

Correct me if I’m wrong but Leeds now don’t play anyone higher than 6th place WBA? Whereas we play Cov, Burnley and Blackburn (below WBA on GD) - not saying we can’t win them but it’s slightly harder than Leeds’ run.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Point for point, we are better than them.
If you add in the 2 point deduction (which is relevant here) and remove the 6 points they got from our games so that we compare both team's points gained from all the other opposition, we would have collected 5 points more than them. They won't be gettint any more points from us, so future PPG is now very relevant.
Yesterday's 'slip' at home to WBA, and our continued ability to get results (best away form in the league) brought this right into focus.
How sweet would it be for us to snatch the title from their already entitled hands...and for Burnley to pip them to second!!

Ok.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Ok.

OK you think we will, or OK you think I'm being over enthusiastic?

 

[Dkc]

Odds are crazy atm. Bookies have fallen for the Leeds hype. You can get 9/1 against Blades winning the title. Leeds 1/8. Burnley 18/1.

Leeds are a good side but not miles ahead of everyone else. They needed very late goals in their last two wins. If they'd drawn with us and Sunderland we'd be top of the table.

Given their history of bottling it these odds are great value.

 

[Mumbo]

Point for point, we are better than them.
If you add in the 2 point deduction (which is relevant here) and remove the 6 points they got from our games so that we compare both team's points gained from all the other opposition, we would have collected 5 points more than them. They won't be gettint any more points from us, so future PPG is now very relevant.
Yesterday's 'slip' at home to WBA, and our continued ability to get results (best away form in the league) brought this right into focus.
How sweet would it be for us to snatch the title from their already entitled hands...and for Burnley to pip them to second!!

A home win for us next Saturday will take us level on points with Leeds,who then have a tricky away game at Portsmouth on Monday.
It could all look very different next week.
I’m not sure why people want to jump the gun and declare Leeds champions with 11 to play.

 

[SUFC Guy]

Correct me if I’m wrong but Leeds now don’t play anyone higher than 6th place WBA? Whereas we play Cov, Burnley and Blackburn (below WBA on GD) - not saying we can’t win them but it’s slightly harder than Leeds’ run.

And Burnley have the easiest run in.

Still fancy top 2 though

 

[SUFC Guy]

OK you think we will, or OK you think I'm being over enthusiastic?

All 3

 

[Dkc]

I'm considering using my overdraft to stick a bit of money on us and Burnley. Leeds' run-in looks easy, but it looked easy last time they bottled it too. We know there are no easy games in the Championship.

 

[LondonBlade89]

A home win for us next Saturday will take us level on points with Leeds,who then have a tricky away game at Portsmouth on Monday.
It could all look very different next week.
I’m not sure why people want to jump the gun and declare Leeds champions with 11 to play.

In the moment games often feel season defining (or similar), particular head to heads. I saw plenty expecting Leeds to go and win the league at a canter after Monday night. The very next set of matches we pull back two points on them. As you say, there are plenty of games left.

After the Basham’s arriving match, we lost the very next game to Bristol City and Leeds beat Millwall. That put Leeds back into 2nd, two points ahead of us with 39 games played. The Basham arriving game in my mind felt like a huge moment but it’s worth remembering a few days later we were back behind Leeds effectively back where we started. Even later, after we had that last minute draw against Millwall at home we were three points behind Leeds with four games to go. Leeds then failed to win a single game after that, a lovely run kicked off with a shocking home defeat to ten-man Wigan. No one would have predicted that at the time. There’s a secondary point in that about it’s hard to predict the difficulty of run-ins because you’ve got teams in all areas of the division positionally with their own shit going on (avoiding relegation, going for a final playoff spot, a new manager bounce, etc). But the main point is there’s a hell of a lot of football left.

 

[Antarctic Monkey]

This is where the screw turns and the pressure intensifies. Looking at the league table, that gap looks like a chasm from a Burnley perspective. Lose 1 game and they need us to lose 2 more than them.

They could easily tighten up in their next match. Can Scott Parker keep cool heads?

 

[FriethBlade]

The reason i don't think Leeds will bottle it this time is their home form. I know they dropped points yesterday but it's a very intimidating place to go, the crowd really get behind them and they are worth a goal start. One of us or Burnley have an outside chance of catching them but I'll be amazed if we both do

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Look, we all enjoyed our combative style straight out the gate against Leeds, they simply couldn’t live with us in that first half hour. But it was a gamble that backfired on us, they knew very well we were gonna run out of steam eventually and could pick us off with ease…(They’d already done it to Sunlan)
My point is, Leeds are fitter, more composed in front of goal and in many ways a lot more savvy than us…Obviously I hope we can pip them, but their remarkable goals tally alone is always gonna give them the edge, and in my eyes makes them worthy champions…Soz

 

[metalblade]

Correct me if I’m wrong but Leeds now don’t play anyone higher than 6th place WBA? Whereas we play Cov, Burnley and Blackburn (below WBA on GD) - not saying we can’t win them but it’s slightly harder than Leeds’ run.

Some times those easy looking games on paper are the hardest. Clubs near the bottom fight for their lives at this point in the season there are always a few unbelievable results in the last few games.

 

[Russ]

Stuff that. We just need to focus on ourselves.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

Listen. Leeds are absolutely fantastic. We are playing for 2nd

 

[S64 Blade]

As others have alluded to, they don’t start to bottle it until late March. So there’s plenty of time. Either way, we just need to focus on continuing to win as many as possible. Do that and the rest will sort itself out.

 

[Need4speed]

Towards the end of the season results don't always follow form. You have those threatened with relegation who suddenly start scrapping harder for every point, youhave those just outside the playoffs going shit or bust, you have playoff contenders trying to get over the line, you even will have matches where there is no consequence in terms of promotion or relegation where players are more relaxed or players playing for new contracts. Leeds Burnley and us will have some strange results.

 

[loyalblade95]

Can we catch Leeds, yes but I think they will ultimately finish 1st and we'll get 2nd, they are going to drop points between now and the end of the season but so are us and Burnley.

At the moment, we need to make up 4 points on Leeds owing to the goal difference.

It wouldn't surprise me if we only finished a point or 2 behind them at the end of the season though.

 

[Echo Blade]

From the moment we got the deduction I feared it would cost us - hopefully not the difference between 2nd and 3rd but the championship would be the biggest honour I’ve ever seen us win! (Same for most )

 

[dillis]

I’m still not confident we can finish top 2 haha

 

[Dkc]

Stay in touch with Leeds and with 4-5 games left their bottle will go

 

[gaz kay]

I thought the same before last Monday. We played well , arguably our best performance this season and still lost.
I hope you're right but I'll be looking at burnley's results more than leeds

 

[stringjunior]

their bottle will go

Will it though? All you have to back this assertion is a few historical occasions where it's been true. There are plenty more where they haven't bottled anything. And besides, every season is a different set of players with different attitudes and resilience, possibly a different manager, and several other variables. To say their (or any team's) bottle will go is just silly.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Ignore the fact they beat us twice, take away their last minute winner against Sunderland, take away their superior GD, ignore all the attacking / defensive stats, ignore that they've played all best teams in the league, add back in our points deduction total.. . and I think we might be their equal.

It's on.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I’m still not confident we can finish top 2 haha

Yes that’s probably the most genuine Bladey thing I’ve seen on here…All this optimism isn’t really us.

 

[Varkanoid]

The comments about Leeds from the media and elsewhere are Leeds are champions in waiting, they talk about Leeds being the best team, they are the media darlings and its as though they have a 10 point lead. Sky are already rubbing their hands over the Leeds coverage 25/26 season.

Coming back to reality they are 3 points ahead of us. Using Wilder's points method they are 1 point ahead of us. They are not winning all their games at the moment. They have Meslier in goal who is only a blunder away. We dont need to worry about Leeds.

Game on.

 

[Isar]

Another Leeds collapse would be absolutely glorious. Unfortunately this time I can't see it happening.
If us and Burnley nick the top two spots it would be beyond fantastic.

 

[Cheeky Blade]

We live in hope.