Gabriel Agbonlahor has recently articulated his preference against Leeds United’s promotion to the Premier League, offering an explanation for his stance.
The ex-Aston Villa forward previously expressed his support for Ipswich Town to outpace both Leeds and Southampton for a top-two finish in the Championship. He has now elaborated on his reasoning for this view.
With Leicester City and Ipswich holding the automatic promotion slots in the Championship, Leeds finds itself in close pursuit, trailing Leicester by five points and Ipswich by just two.
While Ipswich secures the second spot for now, there remains a tangible possibility for the three teams that were relegated last season to bounce straight back to the Premier League, a prediction supported by Jamie Carragher.
However, during a talkSPORT segment, Agbonlahor explained his reluctance to see Leeds ascend to the Premier League, criticizing their approach under former manager Marcelo Bielsa as overly risky.
Agbonlahor’s rationale for preferring Ipswich over Leeds
He stated, “My support is with Ipswich making it through. Their journey to potentially achieve back-to-back promotions is remarkable.
“Leeds had their opportunity. They were indeed thrilling to watch, but the tactics employed under Bielsa were too reckless. The prospect of having Ipswich in the Premier League excites me.”
This viewpoint places Agbonlahor among the few pundits who have publicly voiced a preference against Leeds’ promotion.
Conversely, Danny Murphy has shown enthusiasm for Leeds’ potential Premier League return, and Simon Jordan also leans towards favoring Leeds’ promotion over other contenders.
What’s clear is that the race for promotion is shaping up to be fiercely competitive, promising a series of unpredictable developments as the season approaches its climax.
