Phil SumblerLeeds United arrive in Swansea tomorrow knowing that they are just seven points away from a place in the Premier League, something that they have craved since they were relegated back in 2004.All eyes on the Liberty
During that time, the Swans of course spent seven years in that particular division and are craving their own return knowing that four more wins will guarantee an extension to the season and a play off place. Of course the likelihood is that the points tally will be less and maybe even a matching of Leeds 7 point requirement will be enough.
Whatever way you look at it though it makes for an interesting 90 minutes ahead at the Liberty as two sides who hope to meet again on a higher plane next season go head to head. It was different back in August when the Swans and Leeds met at Elland Road when were both unbeaten. A late Wayne Routledge goal at that point was enough to secure the points for the Swans and put us on top of the league – a position we have only held once since.
Since that point Leeds have pretty much always been in and around the top end of the division, been in the top two since November and not seen a league position lower than 5th. On the other hand we have largely flirted with being close to the play off picture but have only briefly been in the top 6 since initially falling out of it in November.
The only time league positions really matter though is at the end of the 46 games and for the Swans the timely return to form that has seen us beat Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham in the last week could not have come at a better time. A win against Leeds and it will be Cardiff’s turn to play catch up but having just three games to do it. Their back to back defeats have been as welcome as our two wins and now is the chance for us to press the advantage that we have created home.
Leeds and Nottingham Forest in the space of four days will prove more than enough of a test for our play off credentials and you have to think that if we can come through these two games with at least two points or more then we have set ourselves up nicely for the two games ahead beyond that.
The ease though with which Leeds dispatched Stoke on Thursday night shows that we will have to be at our very best to get a result tomorrow or we can just hope that such a performance will be followed by a disappointment or is it just us that tends to make that happen after a comprehensive win.
This is just the kind of match where the 12th man could have been enough to make a difference but the closed door scenario in which football finds itself right now means that is not possible although I am sure if we left all the windows open near SA1 tomorrow there could just be enough sound to reach the Liberty.
Right now although neither manager will admit it I suspect they would both settle for a point if it was on offer – Leeds to move 1 point closer to their promised land and us to move back into ours.
The game at the Liberty kicks off at 1.30pm
