Aston Villa vs Leeds preview: A word from Through It All Together

Hi all! We hit up the incredible Leeds United news team over at Through It All Together to ask a few questions about their mixed-up United. It’s been a BAD season over at Elland Road, and Pete from the blog over there is here to talk us through a little bit of that ahead of the Villa/Leeds clash at Villa Park.

1. How has the season gone since we last met?

In a word, terrible. Leeds have gone from playoff contenders to abject failures in only a few short months. The team has won only twice since Boxing Day, and is level with Burton Albion for the worst form in the league since then. A combination of injuries, red cards, and suspensions have tested the depth of the club, and Leeds have absolutely failed that test. Most Leeds fans just want this season to be over at this point in time.

2. What has gone wrong this season for Leeds United?

Well, turns out selling your top striker and not getting your best defender replaced after his parent club recalls him after his loan expires isn’t the best plan to repeat as playoff contenders. As good as Leeds were in August and September, the lack of replacements for Chris Wood and Kyle Bartley meant that Leeds had to play perfectly to keep their good form up. When the players reverted to form, Leeds were doomed.

3. Does Paul Heckingbottom have the faith of the fans?

Not really. He had been given a pass so far because the same players that got Thomas Christiansen sacked are still around, but Leeds haven’t shown any improvement at all. If anything, the team has looked worse under Heckingbottom than they did under Christiansen. Heckingbottom seems to not know his best XI, the team’s best formation,and has some questionable lineup choices that have driven fans mad.

4. Predict the score.

Things are going to get ugly for Leeds. The club might be starting two U23s at central defence and will likely trot out a central midfielder and a winger at fullback. Leeds are in a tailspin, and it won’t get any better on Friday.

We don’t blame Pete for not predicting the score. GG folks.