Leeds United will regret that lethal duo missed eachother at Elland Road by 12 months: View | OneFootball

Leeds United eventually cracked the promotion code under Marcelo Bielsa after a 16-year hiatus from the Premier League - but that could've happened much sooner had two of their best strikers in the Championship era overlapped.

Many strong strikers have passed through the ranks at Elland Road this century; the start, which saw Mark Viduka, Robbie Keane and Robbie Fowler all don the white shirt before their eventual demise into League One. Even at that level, Jermaine Beckford and Luciano Becchio were cult heroes, and the 2010's saw a huge influx of strikers that were adored by the Elland Road faithful.

Two of those were Chris Wood and Ross McCormack. McCormack's move from Cardiff in 2010 came with intrigue, but he cemented his place as one of the Championship's best ever strikers after some fine form in the white shirt, whilst Wood took his place and did wonders before his move to Burnley in 2017. But there may well be a tinge of regret that the two didn't play together - which could have been the keys to promotion had they done so.

Leeds United fans will have Chris Wood and Ross McCormack regret

McCormack's 28 goals in 46 league games in the 2013-14 season was nothing short of sensational, and whilst Leeds hoped to keep him, the Scot ventured to Fulham in a £11million deal where he continued his second-tier exploits. Then, just one summer later, Wood waltzed in the door from Leicester City having failed to cement a place in their Premier League side.

With McCormack having scored 53 goals in 144 league games for Leeds, it felt nigh-on impossible to replace somebody with his credentials, especially after firing 17 goals for Fulham in his first season in the capital - though Wood did just that. The Kiwi bagged 41 goals in just 83 league appearances for the Whites, notching 27 in his final full season for the club before his move in 2017.

What might have stung fans at the time, however, was that the duo never got to showcase their exploits in a deadly duo. Wood was a handful for Burnley in a two-up-front formation, and having someone alongside him certainly worked for the Clarets - though McCormack could’ve given a taster to that at Elland Road.

Had the duo been up front together, there is no doubting that Leeds would have been feared by many in the Championship and fans will feel it is a real shame that scenario never happened.

How Ross McCormack and Chris Wood each fared for Leeds United

Different timelines for the duo meant that there was different levels of support on the field for the pair. For example, Bradley Johnson, Max Gradel, Jonny Howson and Robert Snodgrass were all present whilst McCormack was at the club - albeit some for longer than others, and Wood was supplied by the likes of Alex Mowatt, Pablo Hernandez, Lewis Cook and Kalvin Phillips before his departure after a two-year stint.

But what both had in abundance was goals. A combined 94 league goals in just 227 games is a remarkable tally at Championship level, and with both boasting different playing styles, there is certainly an argument to be had about how well they could've fared had they played together.

They certainly rank high in terms of the strikers Leeds have had since they fell out of the top-flight in 2004, though with Premier League football potentially on the cards at present, they will be hoping that the Wood doesn't come back to haunt them for Nottingham Forest next season should both teams battle it out in England's top division.

How Ross McCormack and Chris Wood compare to Leeds' other Championship strikers

Patrick Bamford is a name that easily wades into this conversation. McCormack took over the reins from Luciano Becchio before his departure to Norwich, and his throne was succeeded by Wood, with the pair evidently doing just fine in the talisman role. But what Bamford possesses is that he took Leeds up under Bielsa - something Leeds didn't do with either Wood or McCormack.

Kemar Roofe, for all of his efforts, is also a name that could be on the list - whilst David Healy was a decent part of the Leeds furniture in the years that Leeds struggled with financial woes in the Championship before going down in 2007. However, McCormack and Wood remain the only strikers to have scored 30 goals or more in all competitions in the Championship era - and so the crown belongs to them both.