Some Leeds United fans have been reacting on social media after data experts FiveThirtyEight offered their prediction for the final league standings of the 2019/20 Championship season.
Currently, West Bromwich Albion are sitting atop the second-tier table on 69 points, having won 19 and drawn 12 of their 36 games played to date. The Baggies’ haul of points is enough for Slaven Bilic’s men to edge Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites by a single point.
We have taken more wins than West Brom by one, though have also lost on three more occasions whilst drawing four fewer fixtures for a haul of 68 points, which are enough for the club to hold a five-point buffer to third-place Fulham and the Play-Off pack.
FiveThirtyEight expect the gap between the automatic promotion places and those set to duel for a date at Wembley will grow between now and the close of the campaign, with their current predicted final standings showing third-place to be on 77 points while second-place will claim a total of 86.
Thankfully, for now at least, it is not United whom FiveThirtyEight expect will have to duel it out for the Play-Off trophy this season, as they predict Bielsa will guide us all the way to the Championship title with a bag of 88 points.
A total of 88 points for the title while second-place sits on 86 would suggest a final day showdown between us and West Brom for the second-tier crown, while Fulham lead Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Preston North End in the Play-Off places.
Where will we finish in the table?
First
Second
Play-Offs
7th or below
FiveThirtyEight’s data also suggests there is currently a 64% chance that we claim the league title this term, compared to West Brom’s 33% and Fulham’s 2%, while there is a 97% chance that we secure promotion, compared to West Brom’s 88%, Fulham’s 28% and Brentford’s 41%.
As for the Play-Offs, FiveThirtyEight suggest there is a 5% chance that we only finish the season in a Play-Off position while the Baggies are at 15% and 52% for second.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to FiveThirtyEight’s data-driven prediction, including one supporter screaming for them to “stop it”…
Please stop it https://t.co/FbCHHbeQBO
— William (@WilliamIrwin_) March 5, 2020
All these predictors don’t take into account the ‘thats leeds’ factor where we can mess even the most promising situation up in the most amazing ways
— Geezus (@rhodes_g) March 5, 2020
Getting it done before the final day? Who are you trying to kid?! That’s not the Leeds way! 🤣
— Peter Barry (@PeterBarry81) March 5, 2020
Means nothing
— balhar bhachu (@BhachuBalhar) March 5, 2020
March 5, 2019 – Villa were 9% to make playoffs and 3% to be promoted.
— Marshmello Bielsa (@LUFCVirginia) March 5, 2020
— WeAllLoveLeeds (@AllLeeds3) March 5, 2020
Not a chance are fulham finishing on that low amount of points.
— carl smith (@carlsmith_88) March 5, 2020
In other Leeds United news, Bielsa has been backed to urge Director of Football Victor Orta to sign a 23-year-old Premier League player this summer.