On March 17, 2024, Leeds United went top of the Championship after a comfortable 2-0 win over Millwall at Elland Road. That result extended their unbeaten run to 13 games, with just one draw included in that sequence, and at that stage it seemed a decent bet that Daniel Farke's side would secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Unfortunately, everything changed after the international break. Leeds were held to a 2-2 draw away at Watford in their first game back, and only won two of their next seven matches, with the biggest low point coming in the form of a 4-0 hammering at QPR.
Leeds had to settle for the play-offs in the end, and that process just brought more heartbreak. After seeing off Norwich City impressively in the semi-finals, the Whites choked in the final at Wembley, losing 1-0 to Southampton, and were subsequently unable to keep hold of star trio Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Georginio Rutter.
Speculation over Farke's future was rife, too, especially after the German admitted "it will be difficult to come back stronger", but Leeds stuck with the man they'd handed a four-year contract to the previous year. Fast-forward to the present, though, and supporters must be feeling like cast members in 'Groundhog Day'.
Leeds are very much back in the mix for a top-two finish, but their form has dropped off a cliff again when it really matters. Now, Farke must galvanise his troops before it's too late, with his job very much on the line entering a season-defining seven-game period...
