Leeds United boss Daniel Farke admitted that two defeats from four matches during the Championship festive period was not ideal, but the German coach defended his side’s position in the table.
Leeds started the Christmas period positively with an impressive 4-0 statemate win over Ipswich, who are currently in second place in the Championship.
However, Farke’s side could not generate momentum after their Ipswich victory and dropped points in the following two matches. Defeats on the road came at Preston on Boxing Day (2-1) and West Brom (1-0) on December 29 – results which extended the Whites’ losing streak away to three consecutive matches.
A 3-0 win over Birmingham on New Year’s Day helped Leeds take some positivity from the festive spell in the Championship as the Yorkshire club held fourth position in the table.
Yet, a run of seven games in 24 days also took its toll on the Whites’ squad, with seven first-team players now out or doubtful for the upcoming FA Cup third-round clash at Peterborough.
It was a less than perfect December and early 2024 for Leeds, who now sit seven points behind Ipswich in the automatic promotion places. But Farke focussed on the positives gained over the last month when speaking to Leeds Live rather than focussing on the setbacks.
“We are still comfortably in the top six and we have improved our goal difference a lot. We have closed the gap (to Ipswich) from 10 points to seven.
“Yes, I would have preferred to have closed it even better but I have worked for a long time at Championship level and you can’t win them all, especially during the Christmas period when you have four games (in a short period of time).
“I think, overall, we are definitely on a good path.”
Writer’s View
When Leeds thrashed Ipswich in mid-December, there was a sense that the Whites had a platform to push on over the following two weeks to close the gap on Ipswich and Leicester. But dropped points on the road yet again proved a stumbling block for Farke’s side, as the Yorkshire club have taken just four points from their last five away.
While the Birmingham win provided some consolation, it did not paper over the big issues that Leeds have whilst playing away from Elland Road. If Farke’s side want to push on to become true automatic promotion contenders, they must overcome their travel woes and tough trips to Peterborough and Cardiff in their next two could provide further setbacks.
