COMMENT By Richard Parks

Leeds United are left with just pride to play for in the final month of the season after a 2-0 Championship defeat at Fulham ended any slim hope they might have had of gatecrashing the play-offs.

Paul Heckingbottom's side became the latest one in the division to struggle to cope with the fluent attacking play of Slavisa Jokanovic's enterprising team, as goals from Kevin McDonald and on-loan Aleksandar Mitrovic condemned the visitors to yet another defeat against a top-six side.

Leeds’ consistent failure to outwit the Championship’s better clubs is the basis of their mid-table position, and they are now 13th in the table and 10 points adrift of Middlesbrough in the final play-off spot.

By contrast, Fulham extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches as they climbed to within five points of Cardiff City in the second automatic promotion place.

So, what did we learn from Leeds' latest league disappointment? Plenty, actually.

Football Insider analyses three things learn from the Craven Cottage setback, including why Leeds must get rid of hugely disappointing 23-year-old in a month's time.

Click below to find out who see the first thing learned from the Fulham match

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Light years behind Fulham

Fulham are everything Leeds are not. They are enterprising, fluent in possession and have a defined playing style that they stick with game after game. It also helps that they have some of the best players in the division - Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney have joined Ruben Neves on the three-man shortlist for Championship player of the year - but, clearly, they are miles ahead of United. One thing Leeds can copy their impressive hosts is to establish a defined style of play. The sense is that Leeds are just making it up game by game, as they go along.

Click below to find out who see the second thing learned from the Fulham match

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Ekuban is a woeful finisher

Heckingbottom did not stand on ceremony as he assessed the one-on-one miss from Caleb Ekuban that cost Leeds dearly at the Cottage. Asked if the speedy front man needs to improve his finishing, the manager replied, 'Definitely' before claiming that most of the best chances are falling on his weaker foot. The statistics don't lie. Ekuban has made 15 league appearances this season and has scored just once. For all of the work rate and physical ability he brings to this role in attack, his finishing is grim. Expect Heckingbottom to act in the next match.

Click below to find out who see the third thing learned from the Fulham match

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Pennington not worth re-signing

Goodness, Leeds' centre-backs are brittle. Barely a game goes by without one of Matthew Pennington, Liam Cooper or Pontus Jansson suffering another tweak, or strain, or something more serious. On-loan Pennington failed to end this match, leaving the pitch with three minutes of full time remaining, and he should continue his journey all the way back to Merseyside. With Cooper sidelined with a thigh tear, this was the Everton player's fourth consecutive start. Once again, he was okay but nothing special. The truth is Leeds need a new centre-back or two who are of a higher standard than Cooper and Pennington, who lacks the physicality to dominate in the Championship. In aerial duels, he is hopeless most of the time. The 23-year-old is not worth signing permanently, or on another loan.

In other Leeds United transfer news,

the club are working on a deal to sign an English centre-back who has been the best in the league this season

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