Leeds United are haunted by the ghosts of the play-offs – and the fear has begun

There’s a collection to be compiled – and it should exist somewhere – of the ghosts of the Leeds United match; Bad video for brave souls only.

Start with Peter Shirtliff in 1987, and he undoes the most beautiful goal ever scored by John Sheridan. He moved to Kevin Blackwell’s team in 2006, where he died of fright when fireworks exploded behind them; Shortly before they did the same. James Hayter; Jimmy Abdo; Liam Cooper and Kiko Casilla cross the wire, sending Marcelo Bielsa’s Ming Vase of football across the black ice.

Those are the bits you see. Sometimes the worst thing is what happens when the cameras aren’t looking. There are few events in Leeds’ history that better illustrate the emptiness of play-off defeat than Angus Kinnear, the club’s chief executive, dragging tickets to the 2019 Championship final from his boot into the car of a waiting Derby County official, an hour or so after Derby. Turn the semi-final between the clubs into The Wild Bunch.

Kinnear grabbed the tickets because Leeds had the odds of qualifying after the first leg. Leeds United have been contenders in plenty of play-offs over the years, but the black and white are stark – five starts in two different divisions, and no promotions at the end of either – and the fear about them is real. Fear is what made two wins from two matches non-negotiable this week, to maintain the continuity of automatic promotion and save the club from re-dealing with its opponent.

Leeds players after a 4-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers on Friday evening (Warren Little/Getty Images)

Some of the poor historical records are bizarre and not all of them are completely relevant. Leeds failed to beat Brentford between 1951 and 2022, but for 60 years they have not played there once. The turnover of faces at Elland Road during the 2000s was such that it was difficult to think of Brentford away as being unlucky. Different players, different coaches, different seasons. It was hardly Everton v Jurgen Klopp at Goodison Park (or Everton v Klopp at Goodison Park before Wednesday night).

By comparison, the Premier League qualifiers have seeped into Leeds’ psyche. So deep in it, that their fans are convinced that Leeds won’t win them; You will not defeat them and you will not defeat them. The results have caused some of this consternation. They speak for themselves, but their inevitability may not be a coincidence. Follow the club over a consistent period and you’ll find that when the pressure comes in the Championship, the pressure is greater here than almost anywhere else.

They’re big, Leeds. For a long time, they have been punching well below their weight. Disappointing seasons have caused disappointment, which in turn has led to apparent despair. You could smell it on the way to promotion in 2020, and by then, the only way Leeds envisioned going up was to smash the division, win the title and remove all doubt. Open the door to doubt and terrible things happen.

With deteriorating results over the past few weeks worrying Elland Road, it has become clear to everyone that a runners-up finish this season would be good too. No cup, a different kind of celebration, but basically, the same for a club that can’t grow to full size in the Championship. Three years in the Premier League has left some in their fanbase wondering if life is more fun in the Premier League. A year ago here reminded us that while it may be fun in moderation, ambition sets in quickly. Leeds, after relegation last May, will be only too happy to get through quickly. That’s why the 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers two weeks ago made this a pivotal week. Ask or shut up.

Monday’s 4-3 win over Middlesbrough was a good start and kept you cool. Then, at QPR last night, Leeds showed up and froze; They went out with their shovels and dug a hole for themselves, a complete lack of presence on a scale the FARC had never experienced before. He was not innocent in that either. His team is in second place, but Ipswich has two matches in hand, the first against Hull City later today. Either Portman Road is about to go big on charity or Leeds are about to bump into the play-offs again, blushing red after hiding out 4-0 down at Loftus Road. The away score was 3-0. One header from Sam Field bury QPR’s quarter and half of it was immediately emptied. Those who stayed told Farke and his players that all the time.

Very little action for Leeds at QPR (Warren Little/Getty Images)

It was one of those evenings where the points failed to connect from the start. The selection of Joel Perrault to replace Patrick Bamford – in the stands nursing a bruised knee – backfired badly, as he failed to internalize the lesson he had learned from being overtaken by Blackburn. Piero looked like he wouldn’t keep the ball if it was made of cloth and the ball was made of Velcro. Elias Chair scored a deflected curler after eight minutes, Lucas Andersen netted a clean curler after 22 and two goals would seal the win for QPR. Vark lasted until well after the hour before using his seat, usually a patient demeanor despite what was happening. Even then, Peru was not sacrificed. Lyndon Dykes headed in the third and Field in the fourth, both of which got Illan Meslier something.

How were Leeds supposed to feel when the wheels came off? Sick, on the grounds that automatic promotion looked up in the air, but not quite given in, on the grounds that Ipswich had work to do themselves. However, there are clear defeats, just as there are clear victories, and no one at Leeds will think they know where this is headed. “Let’s talk about (the play-offs) when they are actually confirmed,” Farke said. “I’m not inclined to send the wrong message that we’re giving up.”

A small part of you still wonders because part of this promotion struggle, the most controlled part, is played like a delicate game of chess. Recently, the top end of the tournament has become closer to 10 pints chess. Ipswich Advantage. And their movement.

(Top image: Sebastian Vrij/MP Media/Getty Images)