YEP Jury: Leeds United should underestimate Birmingham City at their peril

DAVID WATKINS My feelings ahead of the game with Birmingham are similar to those I had last week before Millwall; both these sides are on a poor run and way too close to the relegation zone for comfort. It has to be said that we were sloppy at times against Millwall but, in the end, our superiority, or perhaps the superiority of Pablo Hernandez, shone through to secure a vital victory. My guess is that Birmingham will be every bit as tough and, if we are careless, they have the players like Maghoma, Jutkiewicz and Adams who are capable of hurting us. Blues go into this game on a run of five consecutive defeats but we saw at QPR how we came a cropper the last time we faced a team on such a poor run! Birmingham shocked us at Elland Road of course, inflicting our first league defeat of the season but if we can avoid losing this one we’ll ensure no team will do the double over us in a season for the first time in 10 years. At our best and with a modicum of good fortune, we ought to win but I’m sitting on the fence; draw I reckon. Prediction: Birmingham City 1 Leeds United 1. MATTHEW EVANS We are back in the driving seat for automatic promotion to the Premier League and have seven Championship games left to stay there, starting tomorrow at St Andrews. It’s a very long time since any Leeds United fan was this excited about football in April and we should all just enjoy it, despite the worry and the angst. Birmingham City are the only team in the league that can do the double over us this season and that, coupled with their manager, Garry Monk, being the man who presided over one of our biggest end-of-season failures, means we have plenty of incentives to win what promises to be a full-on encounter. In years gone by, there would be ears pressed to transistor radios in the away end listening for news from Deepdale but alerts on smartphones is the modern-day equivalent and, in a quirk of the fixture list, we swap games with top-two automatic promotion rivals Sheffield United on Tuesday. Our aim is to at least match their two results and it starts with a nervy win for Leeds in Birmingham. Prediction: Birmingham City 1 Leeds United 2. KEITH INGHAM Everybody recovered? Well, strap in for another seven games that will determine Leeds’ fate this season. By the time the whistle blows at the end of the game against Ipswich Town you may find myself and fellow ‘juror’ David Watkins being tended to by the medical services! I sincerely hope not mind you. Tomorrow brings a trip to the Midlands and Birmingham City’s St Andrews ground. The Blues have a fight to stay in the Championship after being deducted nine points for breaking EFL financial rules, and they are managed by Garry Monk, who still isn’t in the best favour among Leeds fans owing to the way he left the club. Despite their position, Birmingham have enough within their squad to worry Bielsa’s Boys. The ex-Leeds head coach has already stated the importance of every point as City need to win to be sure of survival. The big question is whether Marcelo Bielsa will change a ‘winning team’ with the return to fitness of 14-goal striker, Kemar Roofe? Personally, I think it’s not his goals Leeds have missed; it’s his movement around the area that gives other players opportunities to score. I think he way have to settle for a place on the bench. Sadly, Barry Douglas will sit out the rest of the campaign because of a knee injury. The players will know already that it’s now down to them and win enough of the games left they will be remembered as heroes and go into the club’s folklore. It’s a massive weekend with Sheffield United travelling to Preston, where Leeds will go to the following Tuesday. Incredibly the next day the Blades travel to Birmingham. This week could be pivotal in the race for an automatic promotion place. This week also brings another unhappy anniversary to Leeds United. Kevin Speight and Chris Loftus will be remembered by all connected within the club and its supporters. We will never forget you. Win it tomorrow for those two boys. Prediction: Birmingham City 1 Leeds United 2. MIKE GILL Leeds United visit their ‘old pal’ and most successful manager of the Massimo Cellino era – Garry Monk. Monk is a man we should admire not only for lasting a season but for influencing the signings of Pablo Hernandez, Pontus Jansson, Kemar Roofe and Gjanni Alioski. City, meanwhile, have fallen foul of the Fair Play rules and have found themselves with a nine-point deduction. They have had a mediocre season notwithstanding this and it is doubtful whether they would be challenging for the play-offs. Nevertheless, they have enough good players in their ranks to give Leeds a run for their money. After the heroics against Millwall, United should be raring to go and focused on the season run-in. With the exception of Barry Douglas, Marcelo Bielsa should have a full squad to choose from and Kemar Roofe could be back to add some bite up front. Whether Roofe makes the team or not, the team goal has to be three points required! Prediction: Birmingham City 1 Leeds United 2. ANDY RHODES I can’t get it out of my head that this next week will shape the rest of the season. By some strange coincidence, both ourselves and Sheffield United play Birmingham City and Preston North End away from home within four days of each other. We all know that these two games will be tricky. Birmingham have lost five games on the trot and, following their recent nine-point deduction, they’ll be desperate for two wins. As will Preston who are making a real fight of the play-off chase under Alex Neil. Leeds, then, will have to be at their best, and with Kemar Roofe back to full fitness, they may have another way of unlocking their opponents. Pablo Hernandez was the star again last weekend and he will be key once more. Meanwhile, United will be aware of the danger posed by Birmingham’s Che Adams despite his side being winless in five. With seven games left, it’s time for Leeds to hold their nerve. No points are won easily at this stage. Prediction: Birmingham City 1 Leeds United 2.