This club is notorious for doing things in the most conceivably difficult or awkward fashion. Winning the Championship and giving the Premier League a bloody nose without fans there to see it. Leeds, that.
Earning 90 points and it somehow not being enough even for second place was yet more proof of that. But having gifted Southampton the only goal of Sunday's do-or-die game, Leeds set themselves up to once again do it the difficult way and then just didn't do it. Star players didn't do it.
Farke's preparations and plans didn't do it. Only the fans, who put on a breathtaking display with the usual soundtrack, did themselves justice. They get where water can't, so were not restricted to simply their designated end.
They were in the 'red' end too. One, a Saturday night resident of Wembley Travelodge, paid £600 per ticket for that privilege. "Don't tell anyone," he grinned.
In the end there was no danger of being outed because there were no goals to celebrate and only a couple of moments that even threatened one. A good start, with Georginio Rutter, Willy Gnonto and Ilia Gruev all busying themselves, came and went without a proper sight of the Southampton net. The Saints rarely marched into Leeds territory but when they did Adam Armstrong ran in behind to cause problems.
It was a warning that went unheeded, because midway through the half he was allowed to do the very same thing. Ethan Ampadu went after Will Smallbone, didn't stop the pass and it found Armstrong in acres of vaca.