The Play-Off Race: Are Leeds United Still In Contention?

Neil Warnock takes over at Elland Road with the club currently in 10th position and five points outside the play-off places.

With only 14 games remaining of the 2011/12 season, is it already too late for the new Leeds United manager to rescue the situation and give The Whites a fighting chance of a Premier League return?

Mathematically speaking, it’s clearly possible. Two thirds of the way through the season, the race is still wide open as every club in the division continues to suffer from turbulent form.

Here’s our final fourteen games, accompanied by each of the teams current position, points from the last six and position in the form table.

Looking at that list of upcoming games, it could all be over in the next five. An easy enough start away to troubled Portsmouth is followed by a run of four tough fixtures, which includes the current top two at Elland Road and two away trips to local rivals.

If Leeds United can escape that run of fixtures with anything close to a two points per game ratio (9+ total) then based on the current form of those in the play-off mix, we should still be in the running with three winnable fixtures to follow.

Even if we make it that far and are still in contention, the struggle is far from over. Away trips to Reading, Blackpool and Cardiff City are fortunately broken up by relatively easy home games which The Whites will expect to win. But it’s unlikely that those home games alone would be enough, Leeds would still need to pick points up on their travels, and by this stage, the Blackpool and Cardiff fixtures could be a crucial battle for a play-off place.

Far from easy then for Neil Warnock…

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