'Woeful' - Leeds United fans on £100m warning, failed experiment and final day 'chance' quip

Here is what our YEP Jury have had to say on Saturday’s visit of Southampton and, crucially, Ipswich Town’s hosting of Huddersfield Town including a £100m Whites warning, failed experiment observation and final day ‘chance’ quip.

KEITH INGHAM

Tomorrow, Leeds have one job to do, win a game of football. Results may have gone against us but the performance table doesn’t lie – we are next to bottom with only relegated Rotherham beneath us.

I’ve tried over the past few days to put Friday’s debacle behind me, it’s been hard but football is like that. You enjoy the good times and have to respect that sometimes it goes wrong. We’ve a possible four ‘finals’ ahead of us and it starts with Southampton. They are guaranteed fourth place but after three straight defeats they will want to go into the play-offs with a win under their belts.

Words must have been said within the dressing room about what went wrong at QPR but they cannot dwell on it. Daniel Farke must rediscover the successful formula that took Leeds to the top of the league.

Farke may be boosted by Patrick Bamford’s return. Whatever fans think of our number nine we just aren’t the same side without him. The Piroe experiment doesn’t work and he seems not to trust Mateo Joseph, apart from coming off the bench. Let’s sign off the regular season with a win and if it is the play-offs, we at least go into them with our heads high and not on our chests.

Prediction: Leeds 2 Southampton 1.

NEIL GREWER

This is a game Leeds United simply must win to have any chance of automatic promotion, but with Ipswich Town having the upper hand this aim seems as likely as Leeds scoring from a corner.

Credit to Ipswich as, despite losing six points to Leeds, they are in the driving seat – a tremendous achievement. A glimmer of hope rests with Huddersfield Town beating Ipswich just as they beat WBA to promote Leeds in 2020.

Southampton, like Leeds, have suffered a loss of form and some injuries and will be keen to regain form. This result will depend upon which Leeds United turn up – the pre-international break United or the recent dis-united version.

I am expecting a reaction to the Queens Park Rangers defeat. We need a reaction, and revenge for our previous season-worst 3-0 loss at Southampton whilst I hope Patrick Bamford returns to the team replacing a woeful Joel Piroe. I would prefer to see Mateo Joseph given more minutes, if not a start tomorrow. Otherwise the team more or less picks itself once Daniel Farke has decided upon his midfield pairing.

Prediction: Leeds 2 Southampton 1 (but irrelevant as Ipswich will not lose).

ANDY RHODES

Miracles can happen in football, but rarely do they happen for Leeds United. If Leeds beat Southampton tomorrow but Ipswich get the point they require, United will go down as the best ever second division side to not to be promoted automatically.

No team has previously finished second with more than 93 points and a 40+ goal difference. That shows just how competitive it has been at the top end of the Championship this season. Is it failure on Daniel Farke’s part or just a freak season?

Supporter emotion was raw post-Queens Park Rangers and the history books will tell you that Leeds have been unlucky, but they have to look at themselves as well. Farke must now breathe new life into his squad, and he must do it quickly. If it is to be the play-offs, you cannot go into them feeling sorry for yourself.

There is, of course, an outside chance that the footballing gods will be smiling down on Leeds tomorrow but, let’s be honest, it feels as though they’re supporting the Tractor Boys this season.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Southampton 2.

DAVID WATKINS

We have one more chance, albeit a very small one, of avoiding the dreaded play-offs. For it to happen, we are now relying on our Yorkshire neighbours Huddersfield Town winning at Portman Road AND we need to beat Southampton. I don’t know many Leeds fans who are putting money on that happening!

I’m aware of fans calling for us to rest important players for the Saints game to save them for the play-offs, in the belief that Ipswich are going to wallop Huddersfield but I can’t see the club allowing us not to fight tooth and nail to win our final game, just in case, as we’d look pretty daft if we played an understrength team, lost to the Saints and then Ipswich did lose, unlikely as that seems.

We would effectively have thrown more than £100 million down the drain! So, I expect our best XI to be in action and we really need to see them perform well so that, if it is to be the play-offs, we at least go into them on the back of a good performance. Somehow we need to rid ourselves of the hangover of those dire recent results against Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City. I’m trusting the team to deliver this time.

Prediction: Leeds United 3 Southampton 1

MIKE GILL

Ipswich Town finally saw off Coventry City leaving them with the task of beating or drawing with all-but relegated Huddersfield Town to ensure automatic promotion tomorrow.

Huddersfield boss Andre Breitereitner criticised a number of his players for “not turning up” after their doomed draw with Birmingham last time out and so the Terriers' morale must be at rock bottom making an Ipswich win highly likely. In the unlikely event of a Huddersfield win on Saturday, United need a win themselves to replace Ipswich.

They need a win anyway to put them in the right mood for the impending play-offs. This makes their task very clear and a much better prospect for Whites fans than if the top two places were already definitely settled. The mindset must be that they will kick off on Saturday with a chance, however small, of automatic promotion.

‘Hope springs eternal in the human breast’ and the Whites have to believe that there could yet be a final twist to this bizarre season. Southampton have been struggling themselves, having lost their last three games and they will be as desperate as United to get back to winning ways so this is a tough call.

Prediction: Leeds United 3 Southampton 2.