The last time Leeds were relegated was nearly two decades ago, and gut-wrenching memories of that fateful day, which condemned them to a 16-year stay in the lower tiers, are beginning to creep in as this weekend’s judgment day peers over the horizon.
The Last Time Leeds Were Relegated
Whites fans will need not reminding of the hurt and despair of the 2003/04 season, which saw one of English football’s mightiest clubs fade into the darkness after their relegation was confirmed, in a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Bolton.
Just five years before, Elland Road played host to UEFA Cup and Champions League semi-finals, as well as consistent top five finished under David O’Leary.
Gross financial mismanagement by senior figures at the club gave way to a mass exodus of players – the first sign of trouble was Rio Ferdinand’s £30 million exit in 2002, and the end of that season saw them secure Premier League survival by the skin of their teeth, courtesy of a late Mark Viduka strike in their penultimate fixture.
However, 21 defeats and 79 goals conceded in the following season saw them drop out of the top flight after 14 consecutive seasons. As a result, the phrase ‘doing a Leeds’ was coined to describe financial mismanagement in English football – heavy investment in order to qualify for European competition ultimately backfired when their performances dropped.
Not only did they drop down to the second tier, but high-profile exits including James Milner, Aaron Lennon and Alan Smith forced them to effectively rebuild the squad in order to compete.
Leeds have now dropped 25 points from winning positions this season, no Premier League side has dropped more.
🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/239MIpjaj2
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) May 22, 2023
By May 2007, manager at the time Dennis Wise could do little to lift them out of the relegation zone as they entered administration. Their misery was further compounded by a 10-point deduction, which led to the club’s first ever stint in the third tier of English football.
Marcelo Bielsa was sent down from the heavens in the summer of 2018 to finally lift Leeds out of the mire and into the promised land, but the chaotic harmony of their football, that breathed fresh air into the Premier League after their promotion three years ago, has quickly turned rotten and sour following a slew of quick-fire managers.
Leeds Relegation Odds: Can Sam Allardyce Pull Off a Premier League Miracle?
The latest to hop on Leeds’ managerial merry-go-round is Sam Allardyce, the perceived ‘survival specialist,’ who has one last roll of the dice left on Sunday’s final day; a stuttering Tottenham side standing between them and Premier League safety.
They must also rely on Everton dropping points at home to Bournemouth, while fellow relegation candidates Leicester, whom they are level on points with, hold a superior goal difference as they face an in-form West Ham.
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