That sinking feeling is back as relegation odds tumble

Good Morning. It's Monday 24th November, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


That sinking feeling is back

Aston Villa produced a spirited second-half comeback to claim a 2-1 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday lunchtime, with Morgan Rogers the hero for the Villains. Leeds struck early in chaotic fashion just eight minutes in, when a Sean Longstaff free-kick was nodded back across goal by Gabriel Gudmundsson. Villa keeper Emi Martinez found himself beaten in the air by Anton Stach, whose header was cleared off the line only to deflect in off Lukas Nmecha. The goal stood after a lengthy VAR check, giving Leeds a slice of fortune they’ve often lacked this season. Buoyed by the early breakthrough, Leeds showed grit and determination, holding their own against a technically superior Villa side. Yet their defensive frailties at one end and lack of cutting edge at the other remain an obvious concern.

The visitors needed a spark after the break and manager Unai Emery found one through his half-time team talk. Just two minutes into the second half, substitute Donyell Malen delivered a sharp low cross that Rogers cleverly flicked past Lucas Perri to level the score. Villa’s momentum grew, and with 15 minutes remaining, Rogers struck again; this time with a free-kick from the edge of the box that kept Lukas Perri rooted to the spot. The hosts thought they’d equalised almost immediately, but VAR intervened once more, ruling out Dan James' effort as Dominic Calvert-Lewin handled the ball on its way in.

For Leeds, the defeat was a painful one, dragging them into the drop zone and increasing the pressure on under-fire boss Daniel Farke. A third consecutive loss, their seventh of the season will have supporters worried, and the questions around Farke’s future are becoming louder.





Odds tumble on Whites relegation

That sinking feeling is becoming all too familiar for the Elland Road faithful. Aston Villa came from behind to inflict more misery on Daniel Farke’s side at the weekend, the consequences were all too predictable! The 7th defeat of the season saw the Whites slump into the relegation zone for the very first time this campaign, setting the alarm bells ringing louder than ever. It’s not just the fans who are worried; the cold, hard numbers from the bookmakers paint an even bleaker picture.

Leading bookmaker Bet365 has dramatically slashed Leeds United's survival odds, now positioning them as one of the clear favourites for the drop. With odds of 5/4, they sit as the third-most likely team to face relegation, behind only the seemingly doomed Wolves (1/14) and a struggling Burnley (1/4). To put that into perspective, they are now considered a greater relegation risk than West Ham (11/8) and are seen as significantly more vulnerable than fellow strugglers like Nottingham Forest (5/1) and Fulham (6/1).

For Daniel Farke, he is literally a dead man walking. It will be miraculous if he can survive the next 48 hours. A glance at the upcoming fixture list for the remainder of 2025 offers little in the way of an escape route! Trips to title-chasers Manchester City and Liverpool, with a home tie with Chelsea in-between is likely to extend losing losing run to six consecutive games.

After that, they face a tough visit to Brentford, a must-win home tie against Crystal Palace, and a final away day at the Stadium of Light. Looking at that schedule, it’s genuinely difficult to pinpoint where the next points are coming from. The combination of poor form, a perilous league position, and a horror-show of a run-in has created a perfect storm, and it will take a monumental turnaround to steer the ship away from the Championship trap door.





49ers actively interviewing managerial candidates

The storm clouds are gathering over Elland Road, and Daniel Farke finds himself right in the eye of it. The 2-1 loss to Villa has not only dragged Leeds into the Premier League’s bottom three for the first time this campaign, but nudged them below the ‘point per game’ threshold, a statistical red flag as far as 49ers Enterprises are concerned.

Behind the scenes, 49ers Enterprises are already deep into the recruitment process of lining up a suitable replacement. A leaked “2025 Investment Summary pitch” that went out to new potential investors, recently made its way to the New York Times, where former BBC football reporter Matt Slater exposed all.

Within the fifty slides (of Marathe) presentation , Slater revealed that the 49ers periodically speak with potential suitors
as part of their structured recruitment process, even when they already have a manager in place. Paraphrasing "The average Premier League manager’s tenure is 18 months, and therefore contingencies are in place for periodic new hires”.

In truth, it’s a bit of corporate genius; the ability to speak with potential managerial candidates even when the job isn’t technically vacant gives them both flexibility and plausible reasoning if they get caught speaking to a would-be successor. Can Daniel Farke survive the week; the next 48 hours will be crucial!