Leeds United pair face one last Championship battle after promotion and title celebrations
A pair of Leeds United title winners could add more silverware to their collection on Friday when the EFL makes an awards announcement.
Daniel Farke masterminded a 100-point season, going 10 points better than his first campaign at Elland Road, to pip Burnley to the Championship title on goal difference. It took an almost flawless last month of the season to do it and what Farke's men achieved in April has earned him a shortlist place for the Championship Manager of the Month award.
Leeds followed a draw at Luton Town, after which the players were booed off by a section of the away support, with five straight wins that clinched promotion and put the Whites on the verge of lifting the title. April brought 15 goals for Leeds from six games and they conceded just twice as they pulled away from Sheffield United to secure a top two spot.
Daniel Farke’s competition
Farke is up against Blackburn Rovers boss Valerien Ismael who took 13 points from six games to threaten to crash the play-off party going into the final game of the season on May 3. Alex Neil of Millwall is also shortlisted for his five wins from six games, including a victory over Sheffield United. And Scott Parker, who clinched promotion with Burnley as they finished second in the table, completes the shortlist with 16 points from six games in an unbeaten month of April. The Clarets also had to come from behind against both Coventry City and Watford before beating the Blades to guarantee a top-two finish.
Farke could be celebrating on Friday alongside one of his star men. Manor Solomon roared back to top form after an eight-game run without a single goal or assist. He ended his drought by setting up the only goal of the game in the win at Middlesbrough and then added two goals and four assists in the next four consecutive fixtures. The highlight was undoubtedly his winner against Oxford United but a haul of seven goal contributions was hugely instrumental for Leeds in a promotion-winning month.
Manor Solomon up against goalscoring trio
Solomon's competition for the Championship Player of the Month award for April includes Burnley's goalscoring midfielder Josh Brownhill, who scored three and set up three in their six fixtures. He got the winner at Watford and both goals in the victory over Sheffield United.
Swansea City central defender Harry Darling is up for the award for his part in the Swans' five April victories. They enjoyed four clean sheets and he helped at the other end too, scoring twice from set-pieces. Mihailo Ivanovic of Millwall is the fourth name on the shortlist. The 20-year-old scored five goals in six games, getting the openers against Portsmouth and Norwich and an equaliser against Blackburn Rovers.
Winners will be announced on Friday May 9. The EFL’s voting panel was criticised by large sections of the Leeds fanbase after the annual awards for the division went elsewhere. Parker picked up Manager of the Year before going on to finish second in the table to Farke and the Player of the Year prize went to Gustavo Hamer. The Blades midfielder beat Leeds winger Dan James, who finished the season with 21 goal contributions to Hamer’s 16. James played five fewer games than Hamer, who also beat Burnley’s record-breaking goalkeeper James Trafford to the main award. A number of Leeds players, along with Burnley’s Brownhill, also missed out on places in the Team of the Season due to the EFL’s rule that prevents more than three from any one club making the side.