Former Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway is confident Leeds United's failure to hold onto a three-goal against Cardiff City at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon will not do too much damage to their promotion aspirations.
The Whites, who travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham next weekend, squandered the opportunity to maintain their residence at the top of the Championship as Neil Harris's Bluebirds staged a dramatic second-half fightback.
Having found themselves three goals to the good after just 52 minutes, courtesy of a Patrick Bamford brace and a solitary Helder Costa goal, United appeared to be on course for an eighth successive league triumph.
However, Cardiff had different ideas, storming back to 3-3 thanks to goals from Lee Tomlin, Sean Morrison, who was later sent off, and substitute Robert Glatzel.
Despite the disappointment of blowing such a convincing lead, which would have seen the Whites remain top of the table on goal difference to nearest challengers West Bromwich Albion, Holloway, appearing on EFL on Quest on Saturday evening, believes a lot of critics may have laid into Leeds had they lost the game.
With them having taking a point from the contest, even though it still would have felt like a defeat, Holloway insists the Whites are the 'real deal' this term.
"They will all feel very upset because you’re 3-0 up half-way through the second half you think you’re going to win," he said.
"Let me tell you, if they had lost that game, that would have started some rumblings, but they didn’t and they are the real deal."
