OPINION
Leeds were glorious in their failure this season. They should have won automatic promotion and were possibly one quality signing in January away from securing a top-two spot.
They had a second chance and were favourites for the play-offs after they took a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their semi-final against Derby at Pride Park.
But it all went horribly wrong at Elland Road on Wednesday after taking the lead and looking like they had one foot in the final.
All the talk since the game has been about the catastrophic mistake made by Liam Cooper and Kiko Casilla. And that goal was the impetus that got Derby back in the game. Cooper went on to concede a stupid penalty too.
But, in the high pressure situation of the play-offs, mistakes are going to be made. Players are only human.
Leeds dragged themselves back into the game and Stuart Dallas’ second goal evened the tie out with 30 minutes left.
What ultimately cost Leeds was Gaetano Berardi’s bone-headed sending off.
Mistakes you can cope with. But Berardi can have no complaints over his second yellow card and he let his side down in the biggest game of the season.
Jack Marriott scored the winner after Leeds were left short at the back when Luke Ayling tried to surge forward. Again, there’s naivety there, but we can forgive all of that.
What we can’t forgive is a tackle that effectively handed Derby the match.
Berardi’s got previous here. He was sent off three times in the 17/18 season and while that’s seen by fans as passionate, it ended up costing them a shot at promotion.
Perhaps he shouldn’t even have been on the pitch to start with, with Pontus Jansson on the bench. But there’s no getting round the fact that he was the main villain for Leeds on Wednesday. There was no excuse for the rash, needless challenge towards the end of the game and it should be his last action at the club.
He’s under contract until 202 so this is the last window Leeds can get a fee for him. They should sell him and bring in someone they can rely on.