Leeds United are hanging on to the automatic promotion spots by a thread.

Indeed, despite losing four of their last five league games, the Yorkshire club are still second in the Championship, but only by goal difference.

Leeds are three goals better off than Fulham, and they may have Scott Parker to thank because one of his tactics has kept the London club behind the Elland Road outfit.

Parker’s side haven’t won by more than one goal since late November, and that isn’t a coincidence.

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The former England midfielder sets his side up to defend their lead once they get a foothold in the game as he often subs on an extra defender to sure up the backline late on.

On Saturday he brought Terence Kongolo on for Josh Onomah, against Middlesbrough he swapped Anthony Knockaert for Alfie Mawson, and versus Hull he subbed Knockaert and Aleksandar Mitrovic for Mawson and Joe Bryan respectively.

This isn’t a side that are looking to blow teams away despite boasting a frontline consisting of the Championship’s current top scorer, and a former Player of the Year winner.

Parker is more than happy to win by one goal, and that’s exactly what he’s been doing since the end of November.

Unfortunately, that tactic has cost his side a spot in the automatic promotion places – Leeds still have a narrow advantage due to goal difference.

It’s a sizeable mental consolation for the Leeds players to be able to look at the league table and see that they’re still second, despite their recent poor run of form, and it could be all the difference come the end of the season.

United are still second, and they should be grateful for Parker’s conservative tactics for keeping them in the automatic promotion spots, for now anyway.

In other news, Leeds may have the perfect Kalvin Phillips successor already in their ranks.