Jermaine Beckford has responded after watching Ipswich Town go within an inch of finishing in second place and securing automatic promotion ahead of Leeds United as they beat Coventry City to win 2-1.
Leeds suffered a shock 4-0 defeat at QPR last Friday and after Ipswich drew 3-3 at Hull City on Saturday, the Whites needed Coventry to do them a favour on Tuesday night but Mark Robins’ side lost 2-1.
Goals from Kieffer Moore and Cameron Burgess cancelled out Haji Wright’s equaliser and sees Ipswich go to 93 points in second. Three ahead of Leeds, going into the final weekend of the Championship season.
Leeds do boast a better goal difference than Ipswich so if Leeds were to beat Southampton and Ipswich lost to Huddersfield, it would see Daniel Farke’s men return to second and promoted automatically.
But Leeds play against a fourth-placed Southampton side that can consider themselves unlucky not to be higher in the table. Ipswich host a Huddersfield side that are pretty-much relegated to League One.
Kieran McKenna has done a wonderful job as Ipswich manager after guiding Ipswich back into the second tier last season from League One. Back-to-back promotions are on the cards for McKenna and Ipswich.
Leeds icon Beckford responded to Ipswich basically securing promotion ahead of The Whites on X.
Beckford reacts as Ipswich overtake Leeds into second place
He posted: Wow, Ipswich are really rewriting history! Kieran McKenna and his backroom staff have created a monster!
“Regardless of automatic promotion or play-offs etc, they have proven how more than capable they are of being one of the big boys of the league! Hats off.”
As things stand, Leeds will finish third and go into the play-offs and take on Carlos Corberan’s West Brom who sit in sixth. A member of Marcelo Bielsa’s coaching staff the last time Leeds were in the play-offs.
Leeds must still beat Southampton even if second place is gone
Saturday’s clash against Russell Martin’s side could be a dress rehearsal for the play-off final. Third against fourth at Elland Road ahead of the play-offs and that means Leeds have to treat this clash seriously.
Not least because there is a slim chance that Huddersfield produce a shock result and beat Ipswich, which would give Leeds the chance to leapfrog Ipswich into second as Leeds have a better goal difference.
But just as importantly because there is a strong chance that it could be Leeds against Southampton in the play-off final and the winner of Saturday’s clash will have the confidence going to Wembley.