Chris Sutton has expressed his opinion on how Norwich City players will feel before meeting Leeds United in the play-offs.
The two teams will face off in a two-legged semi-final, with the winner earning a trip to Wembley to face either Southampton or West Bromwich Albion.
On top of the already dramatic nature of a play-off encounter, the match between Leeds and Norwich has a lot of added small narratives, the most notable of which is Daniel Farke’s return to his former club.
Leeds, who also accomplished a league double against Norwich during the regular season, will be seeking to avoid a recurrence of their 2019 play-off humiliation to Derby County.
And in order to win the play-offs, Leeds must make Championship history by becoming the first team to achieve promotion through this manner after losing four of their last six regular season games.
Sutton reveals what Norwich players will be thinking about when they face Leeds.
After such a terrible finish to the season, it’s fair to assume Leeds fans aren’t very optimistic about their team’s chances in the playoffs.
Furthermore, Leeds’ play-off record is not particularly impressive. They have not been promoted in five attempts and have not won a play-off match at home since 1987.
However, Norwich are also not in good form as they enter the play-offs. The Canaries failed to win any of their last three games, although they still finished in the top six.
However, in a column for the Norwich Evening News, former Canary Sutton has tried to put all of the heat on Leeds.
He believes those in the Norwich dressing room will understand the significance of taking a lead to Elland Road, as he believes the crowd may easily turn.
He stated: “There is increased strain on Leeds. I used to enjoy playing at Elland Road because of the atmosphere, but this might have a negative impact on players because they will be anxious following what happened at the conclusion of the season.
“If Norwich takes the lead into the second leg, I believe the Leeds fans will become agitated. If I were a City player, I’d be looking forward to this one. What an opportunity.
“The fact that Daniel Farke is involved adds to the opportunity. Yes, he is popular and revered in Norfolk, but you still want to put him away, especially after two defeats in the regular season. Leeds has a vulnerability. Norwich can go into it knowing that this is a flaky squad, and they must capitalize on that.
“They got walloped by QPR, and Middlesbrough put three past them.” Blackburn won at Elland Road, Coventry defeated them, and Sunderland earned a point against them. Why doesn’t Norwich? That’s what they should be saying: “Why not us?” “Why not now?
Sutton predicts who will win the Championship playoffs.
Sutton has not only discussed Norwich’s game against Leeds, but he has also predicted the overall outcome of the play-offs.
He believes that, while all four teams have their own specific strengths, Southampton are the clear favourites due to the strength of their roster.
He wrote: “It’s great that Norwich has qualified for the play-offs. But now the goal is to get promoted. I’m not one of those people who feels that just because they made the top six, everything is fine. It’s about moving up. That must be the purpose.
“I believe Southampton are favourites for the play-offs. I believe their squad is the strongest. If Leeds clicks, they might be lethal. Norwich has their own threats. West Brom have demonstrated remarkable consistency.”
