Former Leeds United manager Neil Warnock believes the current top two teams in the Championship are lucky to be where they are – suggesting that the standard of the league may have dropped.
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Warnock, who led Cardiff City to an unlikely promotion in 2017/18, has insisted that in a standard season, Leeds and West Brom would be in a much tighter fight to escape the second tier.
Leeds currently lead the standings on goal difference but are a huge nine points clear of third-placed Brentford, which has left their fate firmly in their hands with 20 Championship games remaining.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Warnock suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s squad is not even the best in the league at present – and their consistency alone has led to their handsome advantage between themselves and the play-off places.
He said: “I think Fulham’s got the best squad, if I’m honest. I think Brentford have the best strikers, and I think West Brom and Leeds are both up there, but in a good season, I don’t think they are top of the league.
“Whether the league’s gone the other way, I think they’ve just been consistent, really – and that’s why they’re up there.”
To pin Leeds’ success to this point purely on consistency probably does Bielsa’s team a huge disservice.
Prior to conceding four to Birmingham in their crazy 5-4 victory just after Christmas, Leeds had comfortably held the best defensive record in the league – at that point letting in just 16 goals in 24 games.
While they have not produced the most goals this season (with West Brom and QPR having scored more often), it would perhaps be fair to say that their ability to keep it (mostly) tight at the back has been rather integral to their success this year.
Meanwhile, the nature of any successful promotion campaign is surely unlikely to be of importance after 16 years away from the top flight – and it could easily be argued that in a ‘good season’, Warnock’s Cardiff side would not have been able to amass 90 points a couple of seasons ago.
Perhaps Warnock is simply jealous as Bielsa remains on the verge of succeeding at Elland Road, though it is probably unfair to undermine their season to this point in this manner.
Leeds fans, what has been the secret to your season so far? Let us know what you think below!
