Leeds United

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On the latest episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix ask how Leeds United missed out on automatic promotion and look ahead to their play-off campaign.

Ipswich's victory guaranteed their promotion alongside Leicester on the final day but the Whites lost 2-1 at home to Southampton anyway to set up a semi-final against Norwich City. If they overcome the Canaries and Russell Martin's team beat West Brom then they will meet Saints again in the play-off final.

BBC Radio Leeds' Pope said: "Southampton played really well and looked brave and strong and like a team that is not scared of going into the play-offs which they've known they will for a few weeks.

"Very quickly any kind of realistic hope became realism that it wasn't going to happen.

"It felt a bit flat really and I was thinking 'how are they going to turn this around based on the last couple of weeks'? They can but it's difficult to feel it right now."

Rix added: "Rest they need I think because everyone looks a bit done. I think there's a little bit of narrative that people aren't trying but I just think it was a bridge too far.

"We all thought going into this little run of games on that great form and being top was really great and would give us the enthusiasm and motivation for the last eight games to just drive through and keep it in our hands but is has been the complete opposite."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

On-loan Manchester City and England midfielder Kalvin Phillips' hopes of rejoining Leeds United this summer depend on the Elland Road side earning promotion back to the Premier League. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

With automatic promotion from the Championship now out of their hands going into the final weekend, Leeds United may have to settle for a spot in the play-offs instead.

Former Leeds midfielder Michael Brown tells The Football News Show how the players will stay motivated and why Daniel Farke's side will be favourites to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

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A win at Loftus Road last Friday would have put Leeds in the driving seat for automatic promotion on Saturday. Instead, we registered our worst defeat so far under Daniel Farke, losing 4-0 to relegation-threatened QPR. This is the Leeds United I fell in love with.

With Leicester having won the league and Ipswich now just a point away from securing second place, it is almost impossible for Leeds to achieve anything more than a play-off spot. If we beat Southampton and Ipswich lose, we would be promoted on goal difference, which seems practical until you acknowledge that Ipswich's opponent is all-but relegated Huddersfield Town - a team that spent most of their pre-season in the pub or playing golf, as revealed by their manager Andre Breitenreiter earlier this week.

Despite Leeds not being in contention for the title until March when Leicester had forfeited a 17-point lead, some of their celebrations this week have bizarrely revolved around us. Following many wins since 2022, "I Predict A Riot" by the Kaiser Chiefs has often echoed around Elland Road at full-time. The 3-1 win against Leicester in February was no exception, and yet for some reason some of their players, staff and fans persist that it was specifically catered to them - singing it mockingly all week and changing the words to "Leeds are in the play-offs".

We need a miracle on Saturday, and miracles do happen, just not for Leeds United.

There is a huge chance this was not the last time Leeds United manager Daniel Farke sits before the media before a match this season with his side's automatic promotion hopes very slim and the play-offs looming.

The Whites have to beat Southampton at Elland Road (Saturday, 12:30 BST) and hope Ipswich Town lose at home to already doomed Huddersfield Town, to avoid extending their season.

Here are the key lines from Farke's news conference:

• Dan James remains sidelined while late calls will be made on Connor Roberts and Patrick Bamford who are major doubts.

• On supporting the players after form has dipped in recent weeks: "I don't have the feeling that players have let me down. When I signed the contract here 11 months ago, [it was] in order to create something special. My aim is to bring this club back to the Premier League, not just for one season. I want to make sure we are established. We are full of potential."

• He conceded he thought a return to the top flight was unlikely earlier in the season: "I would have said no chance of promotion, privately, in September. We did not buy success. I know it's more likely when you have experience. You know why Bayern is in the semis [of the Champions League]. They are experienced. Same with Real Madrid. They know you need experience. We are one of the youngest sides in the whole league."

• On how ready his team are to bounce back from the 4-0 defeat at QPR last Friday: "I never play psychological games. Friday we were far away from our best so we have to be even more critical. Players want honesty. But don't forget about the bigger picture of what the lads have done over the season."

• How much does the performance against Southampton - even if results do not go in Leeds' favour - show that his side can rewrite history and win a play-off: "This game feels like a play-off game. I'm not in depression mode. I'm really positive and optimistic. I'm excited about what lies ahead of us. We go for it. I'll try everything to surprise everyone. If this doesn't work, I'm excited then for the play-offs."

The equation is simple and stark. Regardless of whether Leeds United beat Southampton on Saturday at Elland Road, Ipswich Town will guarantee promotion to the Premier League by avoiding defeat at home by Huddersfield Town - who are effectively relegated because of their negative goal difference being significantly worse than their closest rivals.

So what does Leeds manager Daniel Farke do to close out the regular season in what has been an impressive first campaign in charge, regardless of the outcome? The Saints have known they were consigned to the play-offs since a 5-0 drubbing at champions Leicester last week, a result they followed up with a home defeat by Stoke. So there is an argument for their boss Russell Martin to rest players before the semi-final.

But while Farke has a chance of automatic promotion, surely he must go for it on Saturday no matter how unlikely the result is to go his way in Suffolk?

What is required is a performance to allay the worst fears of supporters after the abject display in the 4-0 defeat at QPR on Friday. The manner of it raised questions over the ability of the squad to handle the pressure situations despite having the quality to beat any team on their day.

Farke does not fear his players will choke. "No, today is right we are disappointed and critical with ourselves," he said after full-time at Loftus Road. "It's easy to be in a good mood and win all the awards when the sun is shining. Real character is in the tough days and there are not many tough days in this season with 90 points."

93 points, this century and beyond, has always been enough to go up from the Championship, so to miss out should they reach it would be extremely harsh.

The Leeds United shirt can weigh heavy on players, but so does the club's history when it comes to the play-offs. Barring an aberration at Portman Road on Saturday, it will be time for the latter to change.

Nerves and fear have spread through the Leeds United squad.

The Whites recorded their lowest points per game for a month this April and over the last five games, only Rotherham fared worse. From a club-record start to the year, Leeds have fallen apart as only they can.

"I'm not tempted to hammer the boys, we are playing a fantastic season with 90 points after 45 games," Daniel Farke said after Friday's capitulation in the capital against QPR.

The statistics are grim – seven goals conceded from an expected two over the last two matches, including conceding within eight minutes of the start from the first shot on target. But Farke is right to remind fans and players of an outstanding points tally which would normally have already seen them promoted automatically.

Sports psychologists' define a team-collapse as a combination of contagious poor-performance and emotions and key players faltering and blaming each other for mistakes. While the path out of bad form is visualising success and contagious positive emotions.

Leeds must forget the stakes and rekindle their confidence. As quickly as teams lose form, they can find it again, and they have the players to do it. And fans will play their part too, because belief is contagious.

Adonis Storr can be found at The Roaring Peacock, external

We are all Coventry City, are we not?

The team at BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast discuss what impact Leeds United's heavy loss at QPR will have on their automatic promotion hopes and what results they need to go their way this week.

That starts with Coventry hosting Ipswich Town on Tuesday, where a defeat for the Tractor Boys would give the Whites the upper hand for the last game of the season.

Listen to the latest episode of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet on BBC Sounds

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Leeds United saved their worst performance of the season for their biggest game of the season as they lost 4-0 at QPR on Friday.

"I can not remember the last time they imploded in such a way," said BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope on the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.

"It was so spectacularly bad. Everything I thought about their process this season was not there or did not work. I thought the front four would see them over the line but Joel Piroe's touch was dreadful.

"Nobody came out with any plusses.

"QPR were not overly physical but they were better with their game plan. They had intent and desire and were the better side."

The Whites now look increasingly likely to have to settle for a play-off place with Ipswich one point behind with two games in hand.

"No one was good," added Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix. "They [QPR] had their best game of the season and we had our worst."

Listen to a new episode of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet on BBC Sounds

We asked former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown his thoughts on current players hosting podcasts after West Ham's Michail Antonio accused Manchester United legend Roy Keane of having a "dinosaur mentality" for his views on the subject.

Pundit Keane told the Stick To Football, external podcast he believes the platform can be a "distraction" for players, "particularly if you’re on the back of a defeat".

Antonio co-hosts the Footballer's Football Podcast with Fulham captain Tom Cairney who replaced Newcastle striker Callum Wilson earlier in the role.

They are among sever high-profile current players to have ventured into podcasts, including Leeds striker Patrick Bamford who co-hosts My Mate's A Footballer with comedian Joe Wilkinson.

Brown's thoughts on this debate:

Players being on podcasts? It’s the world we live in. I understand the point regarding why the players are talking and what they’re talking about. We’re encouraged to be open-minded; we’re encouraged to come out and speak about things. Problems, positive things.

But I still think if edited correctly those talking points could actually be controlled. That is the key for me. If it is going to be done, it has just got to be watched over. There is fun and enjoyment, but it is not to be taken the wrong way, not to affect any performances or clubs coming your way or even your own club.

Unfortunately, it is not just Michail Antonio on a podcast, there are so many. Big players are into podcasts now and it’s not going away.

The point is not that it is a distraction. What brings it on you is when you’re quoted wrong or you have been discussing the wrong topic.

It is fine if you can do it and not have any of those problems – for instance if you are playing against another team and you said last weekend their striker has not been very good or the centre-back’s performances are not at a high level.

My point is the control and the management of the stories on the podcasts. It is fine to be done but they have to be managed correctly because any little thing can be spun when talking on an opponent or being critical of other players.

If you say, ‘well he’s just not scoring’ someone will come back and say, ‘you’re talking about him but you’re not putting the ball in the back of the net’.

The other point here is the reaction on social media, so you’ve just got to be spot on with it when you have your topics.

It is not going away - we want to hear them. Podcasts are here to stay.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has been contacted by Canada about leading the national team into the 2026 World Cup. (Standard), external

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Leeds United face QPR on Friday in the Championship, kick-off 20:00 BST, knowing a second straight away win would move them four points clear of third-placed Ipswich Town, albeit the Tractor Boys will have two games in hand.

Daniel Farke faced the media on Thursday and here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Winger Dan James and full-back Connor Roberts are missing while Patrick Bamford (knee) is a major doubt. Farke said if the game was on Saturday or Sunday his striker would probably be fit.

• If he is not available, Farke said: "He will be a big miss. We can do nothing about the schedule. We have to adapt to the situation. We will see in the next 24 hours"

• On Joe Rodon (calf) and Sam Byram, who were doubtful but will be in contention: "We've put him (Byram) in the ice bath for the last 48 hours so he should be fine. Both of them should be fit and available."

• On the Whites' approach at Loftus Road: "It is important to be ourselves on the pitch. We have to be brave and fully convinced and stick to our beliefs. QPR are not playing like a team facing the drop. They are a possession-based side. You have to be brave to press this side."

• He backed his young players to be able to operate differently in the same match if required: "If you want to change your approach during an important game, you have to believe in your players. We are working on these topics on the training pitch. We can play in different set-ups - whether we have to switch from man to zone-oriented structure, sit deeper or the other way around. It's not that easy to get messages across during noisy games, but practise in training helps this."

• He will allow his players time to celebrate if they win, even though it would not guarantee promotion: "Yes, it is important to enjoy the moment a little bit, especially after an unlucky week with results. [It is] never easy to win the momentum back. To do this against a side on fire during the game and before in form. To do this on the road, we were all proud. Cannot beat that winning feeling."

• On whether playing first out of the promotion rivals helps Leeds: "If we win, yes."

A new series of the My Mates's A Footballer's podcast has landed.

Patrick Bamford and comedian Joe Wilkinson are reunited to discuss the work-life balance of a football manager as well as the ongoing loan spell of former Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips at West Ham.

Listen to the podcast here

Aston Villa are closely monitoring Leeds United's 22-year-old Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Ten stone of barbed wire was how Leeds United's greatest player Billy Bremner was once described. He was as fierce as he was talented. His winning mentality and never-say-die attitude are embodied for eternity in an iconic cast of him celebrating on the corner of Elland Road.

Billy's statue, as it is known, is a place of homage for supporters who want their most successful captain's 'side before self, every time' mantra to forever be reflected by all Leeds United teams.

Those who gather around Bremner Square hope to witness this from the current crop of players, who - like Bremner when he first arrived at the club - are now looking to gain promotion to the top flight.

Bremner, who died at the age of 54 in 1997, has a legacy and an influence way beyond his early passing.

Some 772 appearances and 115 goals, many of them crucial ones, included winning every major domestic English honour, as well as European trophies. He is indelibly linked with the success of the most glorious period in the club's history.

Now, in his hometown of Raploch in Stirling, there are moves to raise £100,000 to have a new sculpture to encapsulate Bremner's spirit and inspire another community.

He won 54 caps for Scotland and Alexander Gibb of the Scottish Football Supporters' Association says it is time to commemorate him.

"He doesn't get as much recognition up here as he does in Leeds, especially as it's exactly 50 years since he captained Scotland to the World Cup in Germany," Gibb said.

"It's a brilliant opportunity to celebrate an amazing footballer and one of Scotland's best ever.

"He's seen as an inspiration to the people of Stirling. They've seen a local lad like him come through the ranks and make it to the very, very top of football."