'Simple as that' - Ally McCoist issues blunt Leeds United Championship promotion warning

Ally McCoist believes Leeds United must take maximum points from their final three games if they are to achieve automatic promotion.

Leeds need to make up ground on at least one of Ipswich Town or Leicester City, who currently occupy the Championship’s top-two places, after recent slip-ups threw away the chance to take control of the promotion race. Daniel Farke’s side are winless in three and can count themselves fortunate that others have also faltered.

Leeds are two points behind Ipswich and four adrift of Leicester, with at least one needing to drop points again in the final three matches. But the Whites must do their job first and, starting at Middlesbrough this evening, McCoist insists they must be faultless from now until May.

“It’s one of these games where, if Leeds were to pick and choose a place to go to, it would not be Middlesbrough on current form,” McCoist told talkSPORT. “They’ve got to win. If they harbour any real hopes of automatic promotion, they’ve got to look at their next three games and take nine points, it’s as simple as that.”

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This evening’s clash at Middlesbrough is followed by a long journey to Queens Park Rangers on Friday, with Leeds handed the opportunity to pull four points clear of Ipswich due to the schedule. Kieran McKenna’s side would have two games in hand, but face tricky back-to-back away-days at Hull City and Coventry.

Leicester will also have the opportunity to heap pressure on the Tractor Boys if they manage to beat Southampton at home on Tuesday evening. Russel Martin’s side can still mathematically climb into the automatic spots but it would require a huge collapse from two of the current top-three.

Southampton come to Elland Road on the final day and it could feasibly still all be on the line for Leeds. At the same time, Ipswich host Huddersfield Town while Leicester go to Blackburn Rovers.