Sports presenter Richard Keys has voiced strong criticism of the parachute payment system, highlighting its impact on competition in the Championship. He specifically called out Sheffield United, Leeds United, and Burnley, the three clubs currently sitting at the top of the league. All three were relegated from the Premier League in recent seasons, with Sheffield United and Burnley dropping last term, and Leeds the year before. In a blog post, Keys questioned, “Have you looked at the top of the Championship lately? Two of the top three – Sheff Utd and Burnley – were relegated last season, with Leeds in between. Should we really be surprised by this?”
Keys also supported the comments of EFL chairman Rick Parry, who has argued that parachute payments create an uneven playing field in the Championship, distorting competition.
Leeds United are looking to continue their promotion push with a second straight win when they take on Middlesbrough at home tonight. A 2-0 victory over Derby County last Saturday pushed them back into the automatic promotion spots, extending their unbeaten run at Elland Road to seven matches.
Leeds head coach Daniel Farke is aware of the challenge posed by fifth-placed Middlesbrough, who are known for their attacking prowess. “Middlesbrough is one of the most dangerous teams in the league, both individually and as a collective,” Farke said. “They have a lot of quality going forward, with goal-scorers like Tommy Conway and Latte Lath, plus wingers such as Ben Doak and Isaiah Jones, who can cause problems. We need to be solid defensively and maintain good team compactness to handle their threat.”
