The middle of the division is so congested that little bursts and tallies of wins can take a team like Leeds from the verge of the relegation battle to within a few points of the top 10. Realistically, United have always been on a par with the large mid-table group and there was no reason why a side like Preston should be outrunning them easily. But the 12-point gap to sixth is an example of the standards Leeds need to reach if the play-offs are to be more realistic next season. That is no small margin with 10 games to go.