'Just because' - Ex-Leeds United star backs Whites to win play-offs with 'hoodoo' dismissed

Daniel Farke’s Whites needed a final day win against Southampton coupled with a Huddersfield Town at Ipswich Town to grab automatic promotion but got neither and will now face Norwich City in the play-offs. Leeds have a dreadful record in the play-offs, but ex-Whites star David Prutton says that should count for nothing to a professional outfit who he is backed to get the job done.

"Of course you could fancy them to win them,” said Prutton to the YEP. “Why not? Just because Leeds United teams in the past have been rubbish in the play-offs? Is there anybody even still around at Leeds that would have remotely experienced that for Leeds? Nobody is there that would have stunk the place up the last time they were in the playoffs. That is the history, that is the hoodoo that comes with that particular statistic.

"But this is a professional outfit that should be geared up to win and handle pressure. If Leeds' players are going to sit there and stew in their own juice then they are in the wrong profession. The next game is there to get your stuff back on track.

"They will be favourites for the play-offs because of the size of the club. It makes for a fascinating end of season shake up. I don't think what I have said either helps re-assure Leeds fans one bit because it's still that huge toss of a coin.

"Sometimes you see the play-offs and you think what the hell happened there? Some results come in and blow you away. But it's pressure, it's Leeds isn't it?

"I was part of it that kind of struggled under the weight of expectation for 16 years. They got themselves back there, they did a cracking job in the first season back and then came back out of the division.

"There's a lot to put right if they do get to the Premier League but there's a lot of hard work to do before then and it will be somewhat more nerve shredding when it comes to two legs and a potential final."