It has been a great season if you are a Leeds United fan, that cannot surely be doubted by any White. Leeds sit loftily in fourth place after recent seasons of mediocrity.
A shaky start to the campaign that saw Leeds in the relegation places after just six games, must have given the United faithful more than a case of déjà vu. But under Garry Monk, this is a different Leeds United side, a very different one to what fans have seen over the last few seasons or so.
They responded from that shaky start to the season to put together a string of results that saw them climb up the table, a climb that has seen them take up residency of late. Now they face an eight-game run-in to the season’s end, a run-in that could lead to a cherry-on-top moment and Premier League promotion or a mouldy icing moment season resigned to second tier football.
With eight games remaining of their 2016/17 campaign, Leeds have games against the following teams: Reading, Brentford, Preston, Newcastle United, Wolves, Burton, Norwich and Wigan. Digging deeper into these games, three are against teams currently in the top third of the table (Reading, Newcastle and Norwich), three are against sides currently in the middle third of the table (Brentford, Preston and Wolves) and two against sides currently in the bottom third of the table (Burton and Wigan).
If you look at Leeds’ record over the course of the season so far against sides in the top/middle/bottom of the Sky Bet Championship then it is an encouraging picture in a way for the Whites. Against ‘top third’ sides, Leeds sit fourth in the ‘table’ with 17 points from 11 games – an average of 1.55 points per game. Against ‘middle third’ sides, Leeds sit fifth in the table with 23 points from 13 games – an average of 1.77 points per game. Against ‘bottom third’ sides, Leeds sit fourth in the table with 29 points from 14 games – an average of 2.07 points per game.
Applying all of those ‘averages’ and you could point out that Leeds United will emerge from the last eight games with a total of around 19 points. But that’s all good and well, but it’s just numbers and supposition. What about arrowing in and looking at actual games played against these sides in the reverse fixtures this campaign?
It doesn’t look that daunting a run-in…if you take Newcastle United out of the equation of course. From all the sides other than Newcastle, Leeds have picked up points – winning every game barring the home game against Wigan that ended 1-1. In short, of all the reverse fixtures against their remaining eight opponents, Leeds have picked up 19 points from a possible 24 on offer. In picking up these 19 points, Leeds United have scored 14 goals and conceded just six times.
Leeds United are on a good roll of late too, unbeaten in their last seven games and will surely be a side to contend with after the international break.
