Leeds United are haunted by play-off ghosts – and the fear has set in

There’s a compilation to be made — and presumably one exists somewhere — of Leeds United’s play-off ghosts; a video nasty for brave souls only.

Start with Peter Shirtliff in 1987, negating the most delicious goal John Sheridan ever scored. Move onto Kevin Blackwell’s team in 2006, dying with fright as fireworks blew up behind them; shortly before they did likewise. James Hayter; Jimmy Abdou; Liam Cooper and Kiko Casilla crossing wires, sending the Ming vase of Marcelo Bielsa’s football across black ice.

Those are the bits you see. Sometimes the worst of it is what happens when the cameras aren’t looking. Few events in Leeds’ history better demonstrate the emptiness of play-off defeat than Angus Kinnear, their CEO, hauling tickets for the 2019 Championship final out of his boot and into the car of a waiting Derby County official, an hour or so after Derby turned the semi-final between the clubs into The Wild Bunch.

Kinnear had possession of the tickets because Leeds were odds-on to go through after the first leg. Leeds have been odds-on in plenty of their play-offs over the years, but the black-and-white is stark — five appearances across two different divisions, no promotions at the end of any of them — and the fear about them is real. The fear is what made two wins from two games non-negotiable this week, to keep the dance for automatic promotion going and save the club from re-engaging with their nemesis.

Some poor historical records are odd and not all are entirely relevant. Leeds failed to win at Brentford between 1951 and 2022, but for 60 years, did not play there once. The turnover of faces at Elland Road through the 2010s was such that it was hard to think of Brentford away as jinxed; different players, different coaches, different seasons. It was hardly Everton against Jurgen Klopp at Goodison Park (or Everton against Klopp at Goodison Park before Wednesday night).

The EFL’s play-offs, by comparison, have seeped into Leeds’ psyche. Deep into it, to the extent that their crowd are convinced that Leeds don’t win them; don’t win them and won’t win them. Results have caused some of that paranoia. They speak for themselves, but their inevitability might not be coincidental. Follow the club over a concerted period and you’ll find that when pressure comes to bear in the Championship, it bears heavier here than almost anywhere else.

They’re big, Leeds. And for so long, they punched well below their weight. Underwhelming seasons caused disillusionment, which in turn created palpable desperation. You could smell it on the way to promotion in 2020 and by then, the only way you envisaged Leeds going up was by smashing the division, winning the title and quelling all doubt. Open the door to doubt and horrible things happen.

As worsening results over the past few weeks made Elland Road fret, it dawned on everyone that the runners-up place this season would be just as good. No trophy, a different type of celebration, but fundamentally, the same thing for a club that cannot grow to full size in the Championship. Three years in the Premier League made some in their fanbase wonder if life was more fun in the EFL. A year back down here has reminded most that while it might be fun in moderation, aspiration kicks in rapidly. Leeds, after relegation last May, would be very happy to pass through quickly. Because of that, a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers a fortnight ago made this week pivotal. Put up or shut up.

Monday’s 4-3 win at Middlesbrough was a good start and a good hold of nerve. Then, at Queens Park Rangers last night, Leeds turned up and froze; went out with their spades and dug themselves a pit, an unmitigated no-show on a scale Farke had not experienced before. He was not blameless in it either. His team are second, still, but Ipswich hold two games in hand, the first at Hull City later today. Either Portman Road is about to go big on charity or Leeds are about to collide with the play-offs once more, their cheeks red from a 4-0 hiding at Loftus Road. The away end was packed at 3-0. One header from Sam Field to bury QPR’s fourth and half of it emptied instantly. Those who were left let Farke and his players know at full time.

It was one of those evenings where the dots failed to join from the off. Picking Joel Piroe to replace Patrick Bamford — in the stands with a bruised knee — backfired badly, a failure to heed the lesson of Blackburn passing him by. Piroe looked like he would not retain possession if he was made of fabric and the ball was made of velcro. Ilias Chair scored a deflected curler after eight minutes, Lucas Andersen a cleaner curler after 22 and two goals would have done QPR. Farke held off until after the hour before using his bench, typically patient in acting despite what was going on. Even then, Piroe was not sacrificed. Lyndon Dykes headed in a third and Field a fourth, both of which Illan Meslier got something on.

How were Leeds supposed to feel as the wheels came off? Sick, on the basis that automatic promotion looked blown, but not entirely resigned, on the basis that Ipswich had work to do themselves. There are statement defeats, though, just as there are statement wins, and no end of people in Leeds will think they know where this is going. “Let’s talk about (the play-offs) when it’s really confirmed,” Farke said. “I’m not tempted to send the wrong message — that we give up.”

A small part of you still wonders because part of this promotion squabble, the most controlled part of it, played out like precision chess. Latterly, the top end of the Championship has been more akin to chess 10 pints in. Advantage Ipswich. And their move.

(Top photo: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)