Leeds United’s dreams of automatic promotion have been dashed by their lackluster form since the international break. Heading into the final day of the season, the team now requires a miracle to secure a top-two finish, with Ipswich Town holding a three-point advantage and appearing to be in control.

Ipswich only need to avoid defeat against the struggling Huddersfield Town to secure second place over Leeds, forcing the latter to focus on the upcoming playoffs.

Former manager Martin O’Neill has expressed concern over Daniel Farke’s ability to lift the team for the playoffs following their near miss on automatic promotion.

Leeds had led the table after a remarkable run of 12 wins out of 13 matches, conceding just three goals. However, their form took a nosedive after the break, earning just eight points in eight matches and leaking 13 goals.

Critics point to questionable decisions by Farke, which may have contributed to Leeds’ slump. With the stakes higher towards the end of the season, small missteps can have significant consequences.

Farke seemed to have a solid lineup during their impressive run earlier in the year but has since made changes that have backfired. Journalist Phil Hay highlighted three decisions by Farke that have proven costly, including the choices with Ampadu and Rodon, playing Piroe upfront against QPR, and his handling of substitutions during matches.

As Leeds now face the uncertainty of the playoffs, questions linger about Farke’s decision-making and the team’s ability to bounce back from their recent setbacks.

Farke seems to have absorbed valuable insights from the tough Leeds run-in.
As the play-offs approach, Farke cannot afford a repetition of past mistakes, lest Leeds face further disappointment.

The performance of Piroe as a solitary striker has been lackluster, evident in his struggles against QPR and failure to make an impact versus Blackburn.

With Bamford as the preferred striker, Farke’s options are limited if Bamford is unavailable—Mateo Joseph emerges as the sole like-for-like replacement.

Additionally, it would be beneficial for Farke to display more proactive decision-making by initiating changes promptly, as evidenced by his failure to make halftime adjustments in the previous match despite Leeds’ underwhelming performance.