Leeds United v Manchester United: YEP Jury give their big-match predictions

ANDREW DALTON

September 11, 1994, December 24, 1995, September 27, 1997 and September 14, 2002 are all dates in history when Leeds have got the better of their old adversaries from across the M62 in the Premier League.

Will February 20, 2022 be added to that list come 4pm on Sunday afternoon?

It’s the one game that all Leeds fans look forward to once those fixtures drop in the summer and I’m hoping we can send Manchester United back to Old Trafford with their tails firmly between their legs.

Team selection will always be interesting with Leeds, it will be hoped that Stuart Dallas can recover from the knock that forced him off at Goodison Park last time out, if not Junior Firpo looks to be a ready made replacement. The big question is if we see the return to the starting line up of Adam Forshaw to shore up the midfield.

As for the visitors from Old Trafford, their form has been very inconsistent since Rangnick took over. I’m certain it will be a feisty affair and one everyone is looking forward to!

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Manchester United 2.

ANDY RHODES

After the poorest of performances last time out at Everton, Leeds will be hoping for a reaction as they welcome their rivals from across the Pennines to town.

If the opponent was any other side currently chasing the top four, the fans may have felt like a defeat would be on the cards, but the derby-game mentality has already set in. With that in mind, you would expect there to be a degree of uncertainty and an increased drive to win this game.

Manchester United are unbeaten in the league since early January and, despite laboured performances against Burnley, Southampton and Brighton, will be the bookies’ favourites for this one.

Adam Forshaw’s return would be very welcome for Leeds, while fans will once again be hoping to see Joe Gelhardt be given an opportunity.

While supporters won’t expect a result against their bitter rivals, they will hope to see a committed, relentless performance. If they can stay in the game and keep the dangermen quiet, anything could happen.

Prediction: Leeds United 0 Manchester United 2.

KEITH INGHAM

When you’ve had a bad day at the office like Leeds had at Everton you probably want a game that you can look forward to more than most.

Tomorrow’s clash with Man United whets the appetite more than other games. Last season’s Elland Road clash was behind closed doors but this game will be played in front of a full house.

Marcelo Bielsa accepted blame for the shockingly bad performance on Merseyside and may just change the starting XI.

For me, Forshaw has to play as a holding midfielder, maybe alongside Koch with Klich further forward. Either Klich or Rodrigo will have to make way if he decides to include Forshaw.

My choice would be to drop Rodrigo to the bench as we need to be stronger in the middle of the park. Last week the jury all went for a Leeds win and Everton duly triumphed, so to try and make sure this doesn’t happen again, I shall go for a draw.

This game means so much to the fans and with games to come against Liverpool at Anfield and Spurs at Elland Road, Leeds really need a positive result from this clash of the roses.

Prediction: Leeds United 1 Manchester United 1.

DAVID WATKINS

This is possibly the most eagerly-awaited league game of the season; Manchester United at Elland Road.

There can be no doubting the rivalry between these two sides; white v red, Yorkshire v Lancashire, it’s been one of the great rivalries of English football for decades. Leeds’ results have been notoriously difficult to forecast this season and none more so than in the last few weeks.

No-one gave us much chance at West Ham and we came away with three points.

Then, most Leeds fans had our game with Newcastle down as a home banker but we fluffed our lines. And then last weekend at Goodison, all five jurors forecast a rare Leeds away win only for the Whites to then not turn up!

With the bookies having Man U odds on to win or evens at best, I’m tempted to go with them, and yet I just have a feeling that this might be another opportunity for our unpredictability to come to the fore.

Leeds need to find their mojo again to get anything this weekend but I can’t believe we can repeat that Everton fiasco so soon.

Prediction: Leeds United 1 Manchester United 1.

MIKE GILL

This is the fixture that most of us dreamed about through the lean and hungry years of League One and the Championship.

Meeting our old enemies in front of a packed Elland Road seemed so far away then.

After losing 6-2 at Old Trafford last season, the Whites managed to get a 0-0 draw at a deserted Elland Road.

This time it is a 5-1 deficit that the only United that we care about are looking to reverse.

In games like these, the form book goes out of the window anyway and past failures must be forgotten.

Our loyal and noisy fans will give a nice, warm welcome to our near neighbours from over the Pennines and any doubts and fears must be cast aside.

Leeds have nothing to lose and nothing less than a gutsy performance is going to be acceptable.

Thankfully most of the moaners and negative keyboard warriors don’t go to Elland Road anyway, they’re too busy complaining about being unable to get a ticket!

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Manchester United 1.

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