Leeds United’s collapse did not surprise a Southampton dressing room watching the reunion at Wembley

Leeds United’s drop to two wins in their last eight games comes as no surprise to Russell Martin, who has warned that the Championship can destroy any club at any time. The Southampton boss oversaw an away win for Saints on Saturday, a result which confirmed the Whites will follow the Hampshire side into the play-offs.

Before the final international break of the season, Leeds were top of the league with a game in hand over Leicester City. However, Daniel Farke’s side’s form has plummeted from unbeaten in 15 games to eight points from the last 24 available.

However, Martin, whose side went 22 league games unbeaten between September and February and have still only finished fourth, knows how brutal the second tier can be. The Saints boss was fully aware that he could face Farke again in three weeks’ time at Wembley.

READ MORE: Will Ferrell’s Leeds United investment will see nine-figure net worth face familiar foes

“I wouldn’t call it that (a Leeds collapse) but it’s no surprise to me any team (going on a bad run),” he said. “It’s so hard, this division, so difficult. At some point, they are in such a good place, just like we were.

“We went 25 games unbeaten (in all competitions) and finished fourth. She explains the difficulty of the competition and how tough this season is. So it doesn’t surprise me that any team would have a tough time.

“We’re focusing on ourselves and being aware that we could be playing his team in three weeks. Hopefully we’ll be there and I won’t be surprised by anything in this league, to be honest.”