Lots of Leeds United fans have been reacting on social media, after Stuart Dallas admitted that the players must take the promotion fight one game at a time and not allow the situation to become overwhelming.
Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites moved back atop the Championship table on Saturday after beating Huddersfield Town, placing United above title-rivals West Bromwich Albion for the first time since January 11 – albeit only by a point with nine games to play.
Beating our West Yorkshire neighbours also opened a seven-point lead over the Play-Off places, thanks to third-placed Fulham only coming from behind to draw at Bristol City.
Dallas would appear to be concerned that players may now start to get ahead of themselves and look deeper into the run-in and consider our promotion chances, but must instead play each game as it comes and focus only on that fixture.
“We’ve worked really hard and the results are coming, but we can’t get too ahead of ourselves,” Dallas said, via quotes by the club’s official website. “We have to take one game at a time.
“You’ve seen the results in the league, it’s crazy. We will go again against Cardiff next week – if they win, they can go into the Play-Offs, so it’s another tough one.
“There’s nine games to go, nine cup finals and I’m sure the rest of the season will be a rollercoaster. We have to do everything we can do to be ready for the next match, we are professionals, we know what’s at stake and we don’t want to let that go.”
Should the squad treat our nine remaining games as cup finals?
Yes, take each one as it comes
No, there's a bigger picture
We were two points behind league-leaders Norwich City on March 10, 2019 and sitting just two points above third-placed Sheffield United after 36 games, only for Bielsa to only to secure 13 points from a possible 30 before our Play-Off position was sealed.
Our final 10 games of the Argentine’s debut season at Elland Road featured just four wins to five defeats, whilst eventual Play-Off winners Aston Villa claimed the most points (25/30) of any second-tier side ahead of the automatically promoted duo Norwich (22/30) and Sheffield United (21/30).
A repeat run in 2020 would be a difficult physiological blow for the players and fans, with a few supporters reacting to Dallas’ comments by wishing he had said the final fixtures would be a ‘formality’ rather than a ‘rollercoaster’.
Here are some of the messages shared…
I wish he’d said “formality” instead of “roller-coaster”.
— Daniel Harland (@danieljharland) March 9, 2020
Don’t say that
— lufc_cob (@lufc_cob) March 9, 2020
Best make sure it isn’t.
— Jonny (@cyclingjonny) March 9, 2020
No just win every game 4-0
— Adam Brown (@adambrown1992) March 9, 2020
Would prefer it to not be tbh
— Benj (@BenjiDixon17) March 9, 2020
Can it just be the bit where the roller coaster climbs to the top?
— Josey back up North 💙💛 (@jemccudden) March 9, 2020
Please don’t make it a rollercoaster
— Andrew Burke (@andrewMOT) March 9, 2020
Can it just be a stroll please?!
— IsThatConfirmed (@IsThatConfirmed) March 9, 2020
In other Leeds United news, Bielsa has handed a gifted Whites youngster a major hurdle in their quest for a key first-team role at Elland Road.