Despite Leicester City and Ipswich Town’s unstoppable form, Leeds’ performance in the Championship has kept them within striking distance of the top two for the past month or so.
As play starts this weekend in the second division, Leeds is eight points behind the top two due to minor errors. The Whites can increase their pressure by winning first up, this evening against Rotherham United.
Daniel Farke addressed the media prior to the journey to New York Stadium regarding the difficulties that the league as a whole, as well as Rotherham without a manager, will provide.
The German knows what it takes to win the 46-game season after winning it twice with Norwich City. He stated the following regarding challenging the current top two (via the YEP):
We’re not very keen on exerting pressure on other people or what it would entail for the table. You need 20 wins and a few draws to finish in the play-offs, and you probably need 26 wins and a few draws to get promoted directly.
Every successful outcome involves checking a box, and this is significant. It’s the last five or six games, in my opinion, when you look at the table and realize it’s crunch time. Until then, though, maintain your attention on yourself.Whether he intended it or not, Farke has outlined the goals Leeds must meet this season to pass both Leicester and Ipswich in the fight for promotion.
Leeds has nine wins and four draws from 16 games, which puts them in a good position to finish in the top six this season with “20 wins and a few draws.”
Leeds are on pace to finish in the bracket required for automatic promotion (’26 wins and many draws’); if these results are rounded up to provide 26 wins, 12 draws, and 8 defeats, they would equal 90 points.
For Leeds to have a chance at automatic promotion this season, they’ll probably need to finish in the 90-point range or higher, and Farke knows what his squad must do to get there.
But he needs assistance from the two sides above them reducing their speed.
