Alan Smith on Leeds United, Elland Road impact, Patrick Bamford future | OneFootball

We caught up with ex-Leeds United star Alan Smith to get his take on all things Whites

Leeds United are looking firmly on course for a return to the Premier League after a blistering Championship campaign so far that sees them sit pretty at the top of the second tier table.

As the business end of the season approaches, we caught up with ex-Leeds United and Manchester United star Alan Smith in a Q&A to get his view on the latest escapades at Elland Road.

Smith spoke exclusively to Football League World via Goplay Wille P - see the whole Q&A below:

How impressed have you been by Joel Piroe this season - nobody has more g/a in the Champ than him

I think that he came with a big price tag when he came to the club and no matter who you are or what league you play in, it adds a lot of expectation.

We’re seeing the best of him this year, and the whole team isn’t as reliant on one player this season, whereas they looked to Summerville to do something or to get the team to where they wanted to go last season.

The team looks more balanced and the strength in depth is really good.

How important could Leeds’ fans be getting them over the line for promotion?

It can work both ways as they’re the most passionate supporters.

The home crowd can get a little bit nervous because the prize is so great, and people feel it when you start to get closer to the end of the season.

The last time we went up was during Covid, with no fans, and it was probably a little bit easier that way. I would love them to get promoted with a full stadium because that’s the pinnacle for those supporters, getting into the Premier League.

Who do you predict to go up as the top two in the Championship this season?

I think Leeds have put themselves in a great position, especially with a 7-point gap to Burnley in third. It’s difficult as, like Leeds last year, one of those two teams will feel aggrieved like last year in not going up.

I think Leeds will be one, and a sneaky feeling that Burnley will be the other just because they are so solid defensively, I think it was 9 clean sheets in a row. Scotty is obviously defensively minded, and if you can get to the halfway point and beyond keeping clean sheets, you know that you’re defensively strong and can give yourself the impetus to go and score goals like they did against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night when they went and scored four.

If promoted, do you back Leeds to stay up in the Premier League next season?

I always think it’s really difficult and if you look at the three teams that went up this year, would you expect them to come back down?

Yeah, you would, but you just need to be the fourth worst team in the league.

I think Leeds have just got to find a way to stay up, and it might not be pretty and it might be horrible, but if you stay up for a year and build. The stats show that if you stay up for two or three years, you will be up for a long time.

The gap is getting bigger between the teams that stay up and the teams that go up. It will make the fans even more important next year, and make Elland Road an intimidating place to come. Regardless of the result or performance, you’ll know that they’ve got your back whatever.

Do you expect Patrick Bamford to leave Leeds this summer?

I think I said this about Harry Maguire previously, and that if I was a coach I would want to keep him, but that he would determine his own decision. There’s nothing wrong with keeping Patrick Bamford if he feels as though he can play sporadically and help the teams at time.

We aren’t going to be dominating teams, it will be backs against walls and going back to front early – do you need a target man to get hold of it? He’s done that previously in the Premier League. He might not have the pace to get in behind anymore, but he has the experience and that is vital. If he and the manager feel that he still has a lot to offer, we only see the Saturdays, but if he’s helping players with his experience, then only Patrick and the manager will know that.

Maybe he’s happy playing a bit part role in the Premier League, or does he want to go to Wrexham at a lower level where he might feel as though he can have more of an impact.

There are options for both side but it will be determined by Patrick and what he’s willing to do and where he is willing to be in the pecking order for the club.