Leeds United Under-21s will move to within touching distance of promotion should they pick up three points this week. Paco Gallardo takes his young Whites to Stoke City on Friday night and a win would ensure they enter the final few weeks of the campaign in pole position.
United are currently three points clear at the top of the Premier League 2 Division 2 table after enjoying a season to remember and with just three games remaining, they have their sights set firmly on a return to the top flight. There’s still plenty of work to do, of course, but on the back four straight wins, Leeds will be feeling confident about their ability to get the job done.
Here’s all you need to know about the situation the U21s currently find themselves in.
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What are Leeds United U21s’ remaining fixtures?
As mentioned above, Leeds travel to face their Stoke City counterparts on Friday night at the Weaver Stadium, the home of non-league outfit Nantwich Town. The Whites beat Stoke 4-0 at the LNER Community Stadium in York back in September and they’ll fancy their chances of a similar result this week against the strugglers.
The Whites will then return to York on Sunday, April 23, for their final home game of the season against Middlesbrough. They round their season off with a trip to West Bromwich Albion on Friday, April 28.
That’s a game that has been rearranged on several occasions now and it will be the final game of the division. Leeds will hope to have it all wrapped up by that time, though.
What needs to happen for Leeds United U21s to be promoted?
Well, if Leeds were to win all three games from now until the end of the season, that would obviously be enough. However, they only need a maximum of seven points to get over the line.
Win on Friday night and a win and a draw over the final two games is the absolute most they would need. If they were to slip out of top spot this month their hopes of promotion wouldn’t be over, though.
With four play-off spots available between second and fifth, they would have a second bite of the cherry, so to speak.
How have Leeds United U21s got to this position?
Leeds started as they meant to go on back in August with a 5-2 win over Derby County coming at Pride Park, Mateo Joseph scoring four, and from there the Whites won eight of their opening nine games in the division. Southampton were hit for six at Elland Road, while Leeds managed to record a 5-1 in over Nottingham Forest at Thorp Arch and bag four in wins over Stoke City, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United.
That saw Leeds sitting pretty at the top of the division during the World Cup break and they looked more than capable of pushing on in the second half of year. Unfortunately the winter lay-off seemed to kill their momentum and their first loss came on their return, against Nottingham Forest. Defeats to West Brom and Stoke followed before Leeds bucked that trend with a draw against Newcastle.
From there, despite the change of head coach from Michael Skubala to Gallardo, due to Skubala’s promotion to the first team, Leeds have managed to re-establish themselves as the dominant force in the division and they enter this weekend’s clash on the back of four straight wins.
Who have the stars of the season been?
It’s fair to say every player who have been involved on a regular basis for the U21s deserves credit for what they have produced this season. Right across the side, players have shown character, heart, desire and tremendous amounts of talent and potential to help Leeds to such a position.
However, in terms of key men, it’s hard to look beyond the terrific trio of Joseph, Darko Gyabi and Sonny Perkins. Joseph and Perkins have bagged 26 goals between them in all competitions this season and that has been enough to see them edge their way into first-team contention.
Gyabi, on the other hand, has made a habit of producing silky performances in the middle of the park which the U21s have relied on at times. The likes of Charlie Allen, Kris Moore, Jeremiah Mullen and Joe Snowdon have also caught the eye, as did Cody Drameh and Alfie McCalmont before their January loan moves.
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