After a week to forget both on and off the field for Leeds United supporters, they now travel to Molineux to face a Wolverhampton Wanderers side sporting the longest winning streak in the Championship.
Leeds will be glad to get 2014-15 out of the way, but this is another vital game for Wolves as they edge ever closer to the top six.
Wolves
Benik Afobe of Wolves celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening goal of the game during the Sky Bet Championship match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Watford at Molineux on March 7, 2015
Kenny Jackett's side might still be bottom of the promotion-chasing top eight, but three wins in a row have well and truly reignited their hopes of at least reaching the playoffs. Only goal difference is keeping them out of the top six at the moment, even though they have recorded a 7-1 aggregate scoreline in their three recent wins.
On Good Friday they faced a tricky test away at Dougie Freedman's much-improved Nottingham Forest, but left the City Ground with the points thanks to a 2-1 win. It would have been three clean-sheet victories on the spin had Dexter Blackstock not found the net in injury time for a late Forest consolation.
Unsurprisingly, Benik Afobe and Bakary Sako were the visitors' goalscorers in the East Midlands and Afobe especially has been on fire since a January move from Arsenal. The striker, who scored 19 goals in all competitions during the first half of the season at MK Dons, has now bagged nine in 15 games for Wolves after a fine solo effort which broke the deadlock against Forest.
It was also a landmark game for manager Jackett as he recorded his 50th league win in charge of the club. The 53-year-old reached the milestone quicker than any other manager in Wolves' history.
Wolves will be glad to return to the Black Country where they haven't lost since early February. In their last five home games, Jackett's side have picked up 13 out of a possible 15 points and scored 15 goals while conceding just two.
With the seven sides above them all playing earlier in the day ahead of an evening kickoff at Molineux, Wolves will be ready to pounce on any slip-ups and spring into the playoffs.
Leeds
Leeds caretaker manager Neil Redfearn shouts instructions during the npower Championship match between Charlton Athletic and Leeds United at the Valley on April 06, 2013
It's back to square one for Leeds and Neil Redfearn after a barrage of bad press in the last week. The manager loved by the supporters tonight admitted that he doesn't know if he'll even be in charge on Easter Monday.
He feels that he has been undermined and isolated by the club's owners after his assistant Steve Thompson was suspended by the club for supposedly under-performing. On top of that, it is reported that Redfearn has been instructed not to pick striker Mirco Antenucci because he is two goals away from activating a clause in his contract which will earn him a further 12 months at Elland Road.
Antenucci didn't start Saturday's 3-0 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers, but was introduced from the bench midway through the second half as Leeds looked to recover from Rodolph Austin's first-half red card.
It wasn't to be as they went back-to-back games without a win to fall to 14th in the table. They are not in danger of relegation, but Redfearn might give up as his control over the team appears to be about as minimal as possible for a head coach.
Another story to hit the headlines in the build-up to Blackburn's visit was Red Bull's interest in buying the team and it all culminated in a poor defeat on what should have been a passionate weekend for the club.
Even the club's tributes on the 15-year anniversary of two supporters being stabbed to death in Turkey were marred when Galatasaray's Dutch superstar Wesley Sneijder promoted a club-branded knife set on Twitter. He swiftly apologised and removed the post after an onslaught of abuse from Leeds fans.
Maybe the only thing in Leeds's favour is their recent away form - they have lost just one of their last eight on the road, winning five, drawing two and keeping clean sheets in half of those games.
Wolves possible starting lineup:
Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne; Henry, McDonald, Edwards, Sako; Afobe, Dicko
Leeds possible starting lineup:
Silvestri; Wootton, Bamba, Bellusci, Berardi, Byram, Murphy, Mowatt, C.Taylor; Morison, Sharp
Tag :
Championship
