I won the Championship title with Leeds United - Millwall on Wednesday will show us what this squad is about
Leeds United are back in ‘must win’ territory following Sunday’s defeat at Portsmouth.
Stuart Dallas still has ‘loads of faith’ in Leeds United but knows Wednesday’s meeting with Millwall will provide a huge psychological test following a first league defeat since November.
Leeds lost 1-0 at Portsmouth on Sunday thanks to Colby Bishop’s 61st-minute effort, with the forward pouncing on a long ball as Joe Rodon and Illan Meslier hesitated. Daniel Farke’s side had several chances to score themselves but poor finishing saw them draw a blank for just the second league game since November.
An incredible pair of comeback wins over Sunderland and Sheffield United has now been followed up by Leeds taking just one point from six on offer, with pressure increasing significantly as the Blades and Burnley gain ground. The Whites could even kick-off on Wednesday in third, with their two promotion rivals in action 24 hours beforehand.
Leeds’ Millwall test
Dallas, who retired from playing in April last year, was in and around the squad last season as they went top of the Championship in March before winning just two of their final eight regular-season games. That was only enough for third-place and the all-too-familiar play-off heartbreak predictably followed.
Asked if the psychological reminders of last season might be creeping in following defeat at Fratton Park, Dallas told ITV: “They will yeah. This is part and parcel of football. As a footballer, you have to deal with it and it just makes Wednesday night even bigger. We know how good Leeds are home, of course we do, but there’s an extra pressure on them now to respond.
“We’ll find out what that group of players is all about. You look at Sheffield United, they got beat by Leeds on the Monday night and responded with back-to-back victories, so we’ll see what this group of players is all about. I have loads of faith in them. I think they’ll be okay this season but it's a big blow for them today.”
Championship promotion experience
Dallas saw Leeds fall short of promotion twice in his playing career but also knows what it takes to get over the line, having been a central figure in Marcelo Bielsa’s 2019/20 title-winning squad. That campaign was not without its challenges either, particularly a run of four defeats in five around January that was catastrophic at the time.
Leeds rallied to draw at promotion rivals Brentford another big slip-up against Cardiff City - their first game without fans following the resumption of football during the Coronavirus pandemic - Dallas and his teammates took 22 points from their final 24 on offer. A similar run would almost certainly guarantee promotion this time round.
Farke also pointed towards his experience in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s defeat, with the German a two-time Championship title-winner at Norwich City. The most recent of those, in the 2020/21 campaign, saw the Canaries lose back-to-back games in April before two wins and a draw secured top spot.
“We don't take anything as granted, if you want to finish in a top position you have to show consistency over 46 games, it never comes easy,” Farke said following Sunday’s Fratton Park defeat. “I've won the title twice but it was never taking it easy in February and March. It was always a tough road."