This Friday night Leeds United travel to Leicester City in an eagerly awaited clash between two teams that have responded to relegation last season with a near flawless attitude.
Where the Foxes have been breaking records, with 13 wins from their opening 14 games, Leeds have also been consistent in their form. They have only lost three games so far and will go into this game on the back of a rallying call from manager Daniel Farke.
The United boss knows the size of the task ahead but is telling his team to play with ‘no fear’, when they play at the King Power Stadium, where Leicester have only conceded three times so far.
Plenty Of Respect
Well aware of the record pace that the opposition is setting, Farke was keen to praise Enzo Maresca’s side. “You have to say they deserve their point tally after 14 games and to be in this position. It’s remarkable, you can just give them credit and applause.”
Reported by Leeds Live today, the manager said. “Although there was the disappointment of relegation, you got the feeling they got to work quickly and kept the key players together and found a really good balance with lots of quality players and quality coach.”
🎙 Watch Daniel Farke's pre-match press conference ahead of Leicester https://t.co/thOVv8vKIP
— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 1, 2023
Friday night will give Leeds a chance to burst the Leicester bubble and make other teams in the promotion chase realise they are also a force to be dealt with. To take some of the pressure away from his own team, Farke continued with the praise.
“A really well-run club and this leads into the picture where they are at the moment with the best start, if not in the history of the Championship and point tally is remarkable.
“We’re full of respect and we will travel full of respect. We know we have to be at our best with a top class performance to earn the right to win some points.
“We won’t travel in fear. We will travel in respect but not fear. Wherever we go, we’re Leeds United and we want to win points.”
Writer’s View
Being Leeds United may not be enough on this occasion, but as Daniel Farke says, they will not travel with any fear. No team can approach and set up for a game that way, or it just ends in disaster. The respect will likely last until the pre-game handshakes are done, then it will be very much down to business.
It is an opportunity to take Leicester down a peg or two and show that they are not the express train that some are suggesting. Farke has seen this type of game before and will get Leeds up for the game. If they play to their full potential, then it would not be a complete surprise if they went home with all three points.
