‘They Want To Attack’ – Leeds United in Focus
- Leeds United are the visitors to King Power Stadium on Friday (8pm kick-off)
- It’s first against third in the Sky Bet Championship
- Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Donnohue has provided the lowdown on the Whites
The Whites visit King Power Stadium on Friday for a showdown with Leicester City (8pm kick-off), as the Yorkshire club aim to reduce the 14-point gap between the sides. Winning four of their last five games, Leeds certainly look to be a team on the up, according to Donnohue, with a manager in charge who already has two Premier League promotions on his CV.
“To be third on 25 points after 13 games, you’d say that was a great success,” the journalist reflected. “You have to view it in the context of Ipswich and Leicester starting as well as they both have and the gap is quite daunting from a Leeds perspective.
“But it’s a very long campaign and there’s still two thirds of it to go. There’s every chance that Farke repeats the stronger finishes to the season that he had with Norwich. They are growing week on week.
“The team has really settled into a strong XI. He’s got options, which hasn’t always been the case in previous seasons. He can rotate. The only issue they really have at the moment is consistency.
“If you want to go up in the automatic promotion places, you have to be better than pretty much everyone else in the league. Last weekend against Huddersfield they won 4-1, were 4-0 up at half-time, and absolutely blew them away.
“But a few days earlier, against Stoke, it was a very lacklustre performance with a bit of rotation. Certainly on the road is where Leeds can look to be more clinical.”
United know the importance of this fixture, according to Donnohue, both in terms of league position and facing one of the division’s early pacesetters. Their style of play won’t change, whoever they face, however.
“You have to look at this game as a table-topping clash and a six-pointer, because of how steep the gap is already,” he continued. “You can’t go into it and accept defeat. If Leeds are able to avoid defeat, that would be a benchmark to test themselves against because Leicester have just been so successful and so ruthless this season.
“Farke said he is very keen for Leeds to remain the protagonist in whichever game they go into. He wants his Leeds team to be taking the game to the opposition regardless of who they are.
“I don’t think you’ll see them go to Leicester and park the bus or try to sit deep and hang on for a point. They are going to go there to try and win the game. They want to attack, play front-footed football and create chances based on build-up play, patient passing, but also on the counter-attack and from set plays.
“From a neutral perspective, that’s going to be great. Friday night under the lights, it’s going to be a real clash of two automatic promotion contenders.”
Donnohue expects the attacking talents on display across Leeds’ front line to pose a significant threat to Leicester’s backline. The in-form quartet have contributed to scoring 24 times in 14 league matches this term.
He added: “It’s a front four which should not be playing in this division. [Crysencio] Summerville has been excellent, especially in recent games. [Georginio] Rutter hasn’t got the goals return but what he offers on the ball and creatively is fantastic.
“Joël Piroe might have a few quiet games but then he pops up with an important goal or two. You need that sometimes, similar to how Jamie Vardy does it. You’ve also got the option of Dan James, the Wales international.”
All times GMT.