When Leeds played Sunderland on Tuesday night, they had the perfect opportunity to top the table after Leicester had surprisingly lost against Millwall.
However, the all whites fluffed their lines again and, not for the first time in this Championship season, they’ll be thinking about what might’ve been.
Daniel Farke appeared to blame the officials in his post-match press conference, but the truth is that his players just weren’t at the races at times.
That’s a little worrying when you’re in the midst of a promotion race, though there’s no time to dwell on things as the games just keep on coming thick and fast.
Leeds ace Georginio Rutter slammed by Don Goodman on Sky Sports
The players will need to look at themselves after the 0-0 draw and ask themselves the question as to whether they have the stomach for the fight ahead.
It’s one that’ll go right to the final kick of the 2023/24 campaign and, at present, any one of Leicester, Leeds or Ipswich Town could end up in third place and have to go through the drama of the Play Offs.
If Leeds don’t want to see the lottery of the ‘richest game in the world’ decide their fate, then players such as Georginio Rutter need to step up to the mark.
Though he’s been brilliant for large parts of the season, he was awful against the Black Cats and Sky Sports’ Don Goodman wasted no time in telling the viewers so.
“Sunderland are making it hard for them. But, the choices they’re making, Rutter, I think that’s the poorest I think I’ve ever seen him play in that first-half actually,” he said at half-time in the match (h/t The Boot Room).
“Literally, he did not make a good decision or a good choice all the way through. He’s not on his own.”
With 15 points still to play for, there are bound to be more twists and turns before the whistle sounds to bring the season to a close.
After working so hard to get to this point and be in with a shout, the last thing Leeds need is a mini-collapse right at the business end.
