Leeds United will need to repeat their strong home record from the last time they played in the Championship if they are to gain promotion back to the promised land.
With Leeds facing their first season in the second tier since Marcelo Bielsa’s side won promotion in 2020, it is vitally important they win as much as they can on home soil. The Whites had the best home record in the Championship last time they were promoted. Bielsa’s side lost just three times as Elland Road that year, picking up an impressive 50 points from their 23 home matches.
They won 15 of their home games and conceded just 14 goals, the best defensive home record in the second tier that year.
Too often Leeds let in goals at home of late, they conceded the joint-highest goals at home last season in the Premier League with 37, only Southampton could match that. This is something that needs to be addressed in order to fight for promotion.
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Of the last three Championship seasons since Leeds’ promotion, the highest number of goals conceded by teams promoted automatically was Bournemouth’s 21 in 2021/22. Leeds need to sort out their leaky rearguard if they are to challenge for the top two.
Whoever takes charge at Elland Road knows they have to make it as tough as anywhere else in the league to go.
Using the Whites' fans by playing on the front foot worked for Marcelo Bielsa in getting his Leeds side over the line. And when there were no fans at the back end of that season due to Covid restrictions, Leeds’ home record stayed intact too.
So a mixture of using the noise of Elland Road and astute tactics need to be employed to get Leeds out the division,
Leeds need to decide who will be getting the goals infront of the Elland Road crowd too, as last time they were in the Championship Patrick Bamford was their highest scorer. It remains to be seen if the Englishman can recapture his form or if the Whites need to look elsewhere for their goals.
