Leeds United’s play-off hopes will be effectively ended if they lose to Norwich this weekend. Having been stable in the top six for the last few months, they have failed to win in their last three games, while Fulham have grabbed the chance with both hands.
Fulham sit three points above Leeds with just two games to play and with a vastly superior goal difference.
So, for the home side, it all comes down to beating their old enemy, the Canaries and hoping that Fulham slip up at home to Brentford.
The big news for Leeds is that they will be without influential Captain, Liam Bridcutt who has an Achilles strain, while Liam Cooper will serve the last of his six game ban.
For the visitors, Timm Klose is back in training and has trained all week, whether Alan Irvine drops Ryan Bennett after City have won their last two games, is another matter.
Alex Tettey (back) will sit this one out and so will Wes Hoolahan (hip) although hopefully Hoolahan will be available for the season finale at Carrow Road against QPR, next Sunday. Michael McGovern is unavailable after the death of his mother a few days ago and has been given compassionate leave.
Norwich have never won back to back away games at Elland Road and we won the last one there in 2015. We will of course come face to face with an old Canary in the shape of Rob Green, who will be keeping goal tomorrow.
I’ve seen Leeds a few times on Sky this season and Green has looked to be in very good shape and seems to have been a big part of their success this season. Another big player has been Chris Wood.
With 25 goals and 4 assists, he has grabbed the league by the scruff of the neck and has suddenly exploded with goals, like sometimes a player does. I remember him on loan from Leicester at Ipswich and thinking that he looked like a big lunk and not much more – he’s proved me wrong.
There’s been speculation in the run up to this game that Leeds manager, Garry Monk is a target for Stuart Webber as new Head Coach at Norwich. Monk was asked about this in his press conference on Thursday and skilfully side stepped the question, stating that he would talk to Leeds at the end of the season and not before.
Monk carries himself well and has done a fine job with very little money to spend. I wouldn’t be disappointed if he was on Mr Webber’s list but only Mr Webber knows that.
For Norwich there is nothing to play for other than a bit of pride and the satisfaction of keeping Leeds in the Championship for another year, for the home side though, it’s a ‘must win.’
Are Norwich already ‘on the beach?’
They’ve looked like they have been since about November, at times away from home but at Preston, with nothing to play for, things looked a bit different.
We’ll see.
OTBC
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