Former England international Darren Bent has revealed he would be worried about what the future holds for Leeds United if they don’t win promotion.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been outstanding in the Championship so far and they lead the way with just nine games to go, importantly holding a seven point cushion over third-placed Fulham as well. However, with the season halted there are doubts over if it will be played to a finish. Whilst the EFL have reiterated their desire to restart the campaign, we have seen the Dutch leagues cancel the season and stop promotion and relegation.
Even if it does resume, Leeds will still have a job to do on the pitch and the way they collapsed last season before losing in the play-off semi-final is a reminder that strange things can happen.
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And, speaking to Football Insider, Bent fears major changes would take place at Elland Road if the club don’t end their 16-year stay outside the top-flight.
“Obviously we’ve got Kalvin Phillips, I think he could go. Jack Harrison’s done well so I think people will be looking at him. They could lose Helder Costa, I think he could go, the centre-half I really like, Ben White, too.
“I just think for Leeds, it’s all been geared up for two years towards promotion and I think even the manager could go. I think it’s been geared up for two years to get promoted, it should have happened last season but didn’t, this is the season it will happen. I do worry for Leeds if they don’t go up, where do they go from there?”
Bielsa was appointed as the Whites boss ahead of the start of last season and the club confirmed in the summer that they had activated a 12-month option to keep him in Yorkshire for the current campaign, meaning his deal is set to expire in a few months. Both Harrison and White were signed on loan deals, so they would return to their parent clubs in the summer anyway.