Ben Parker has shared what Leeds United’s away end was actually like in last Friday’s 4-0 defeat to Queens Park Rangers.
The Whites went into the fixture in West London looking to heap the pressure on Ipswich Town ahead of their two games in hand, but produced their worst display of the season.
Instead, such a loss was effectively the end of Leeds’ top two hopes, with Ipswich picking up four points from Hull and Coventry City away, and now have second place in their hands.
Ipswich now need just a single point at home to all but mathematically relegated Huddersfield Town on the final day, with Leeds staring down the barrel of the play-offs.
Given the position Leeds were in at the March international break, Martin O’Neill believes it is going to be difficult to get themselves back up for an intense play-off campaign.
Parker shares what Leeds away end was like vs QPR
Having built some confidence again with a 4-3 win at Middlesbrough just three days earlier, no one was expecting such a dismal performance against QPR.
Leeds’ away end reacted angrily towards the players at full-time, but during the game, they must have been completely baffled by what was dished up the Whites.
Parker himself was part of the travelling contingent and spoke about what the atmosphere was actually like during the game, which was mainly ‘shock’ rather than anger.
He said: “The disappointing is that when it matters most we put in a performance like that. The players know it, they don’t need people to keep shouting at them saying it’s absolute rubbish Leeds, they are fully aware they weren’t at it.
“It was a weird atmosphere in the away end and it was just kind of shock really, then with some of the fans it can turn into anger. Then it’s all kind of mixed emotions, but the performance came at a time we didn’t need it, which is the understatement of the season.”
Jobi McAnuff makes Leeds play-off prediction
The confidence levels in Leeds’ squad will have undoubtedly taken a huge knock given the nature of last week’s defeat, but they cannot afford to stew on it.
While automatics are all but gone, Leeds are still the best team in the play-offs, which is proven by the league table and the number of points they have.
Everyone will be wondering how Leeds will be able to pick themselves up to go again, including Jobi McAnuff, who believes Daniel Farke now has a massive job on his hands.
He said: “I always thought if it was going to be Ipswich that go up, I would definitely fear for the other two at the time in terms of dropping out, but Southampton have had a little more time to get over that and be prepared, although they are on a real bad run.
“It is going to be tough for Leeds having been so close after that run they put together from the start of the year, you felt it would be them who’d get that second place.
“But they are just so up and down at the minute, they were so consistent and solid for so long but they have lost that. That 4-0 at QPR, they were all over the place and Daniel Farke has a massive job to get them going for the play-offs.”