Leeds United continued their impressive start to the season over the weekend as they picked up another point following their 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Elland Road.
Whilst it was a good point we picked up over the weekend, the fact that, as a fanbase, we were also a bit disappointed we didn’t win against the side who finished 3rd in the league last season shows just how much progress we have made over the last year or so.
Daniel Farke’s men are currently sat in 7th place in the Premier League after their first seven games, with 10 points.
United’s positive start to the season has led a Sky Sports pundit to make a sensational claim regarding the possibility of Leeds United qualifying for the Champions League this season.
Sky Sports pundit claims Champions League football is achievable for Leeds United this season
Granted, it’s still early days. However, just three points separate the Whites and Chelsea, who currently occupy that fourth Champions League spot.
However, before we get too ahead of ourselves, we are only three points ahead of 14th-place Crystal Palace.
The season is not even a quarter of the way through yet. Despite this, Sky Sports pundit Dean Ashton claims that teams such as Leeds or Brighton may never have a better chance of qualifying for the Champions League than they do this season.
“They might never get a better chance unless they consistently get to a certain level,” Ashton said.
“The amount of changes that have been made in the dugout of Premier League clubs and the amount of transfers as well. If you’re a settled team, as Brighton certainly are and Leeds are, then you have got a real opportunity this season, I think, to steal a bit of a march,
“Then if you continue that, then I think Champions League spots are going to be up for grabs for those teams.”
Leeds fans will love the former West Ham’s striker’s confidence in the Whites. However, Opta’s data suggests that us qualifying for the Champions League this season is unlikely.
Supposedly, we have just a 7.98% chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
Champions League talk for Leeds is unrealistic
I think the game we saw unfold against Man U over the weekend is a prime example of why qualifying for the Champions League is out of reach for this Leeds side.
We have too many games where we lack creativity in the final third to compete at a Champions League level.
That quality will come eventually. It just may take a few more transfer windows to obtain it.
We’re a solid, hard-to-beat mid-table side. We could potentially sneak into the Conference or Europa League. But only if we hit a good run of form at the right time.
It’s only our second season back in the Premier League. So we shouldn’t even be expecting Champions League football at Elland Road anytime soon.
However, the fact that so many pundits continually mention us as a team that could qualify for Europe this season is flattering.
Ultimately, it’s a testament to the good work Farke and the 49ers continue to do in West Yorkshire.
I think with the 49ers at the helm, it’s only a matter of time before we get back into Europe. But as supporters, we need to be patient. It may still take a few more years before we need to get our passports out.
