OPINION
Leeds United fans are likely to reflect on the 2017/18 season as another failure when it reaches its conclusion and they would be bang on the money.
The Whites were the early pacesetters in the Championship as they reached the league’s summit and were expected to be right in the mix for automatic promotion.
However, they started to fall away after a few months and it got so bad that manager Thomas Christiansen lost his job.
Paul Heckingbottom has been unable to receive a play-off bid since his mid-season appointment and now has to start looking towards next year.
It would be easy to completely write off the remaining eight games as given their recent form, it seems nearly impossible that they will close the 12-point gap to the top six.
However, the remaining fixtures should prove crucial in deciding the fate of several first teamers and a number of young players should also get the opportunity to impress.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Tom Pearce have already been given chances at senior level in recent weeks and there is another Under-23s sensation that is knocking on the door.
Leeds need to make centre-forward Sam Dalby the next young prodigy promoted to the first team and look to use him in the remaining eight fixtures to see if he can gut the grade in the Championship.
The 18-year-old has the potential to be a shinning light for Heckingbottom and an instant impact would give all the fans a major lift at Elland Road.
He only linked up with the Yorkshire giants in January from League Two club Leyton Orient, where he had already integrated himself as a first teamer.
Dalby may still be just a teenager, but he looks cut out for Championship football with his 6ft 2in frame and he definitely deserves a chance.
He has now scored four games in his last six games for the Under-23s side and has drawn some comparison to ex-Leeds striker Chris Wood.
There is nobody really staking a claim in the attack for the Whites and it makes sense to give Dalby some minutes at senior level.