Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has urged his squad to finish the job after starting the New Year top of the table.
The Whites have enjoyed an excellent first half of the season and took advantage of a slip up from Sheffield United over the festive period to move to the summit of the Championship. Having lost just three times all season, all by just a solitary goal, the Yorkshire outfit look the team to beat.
Farke takes his team to relegation-threatened Hull City tomorrow afternoon looking to return to winning ways following a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road on New Year’s Day. It was the second time this season that John Eustace’s team had proven to be a thorn in Leeds’ side, having beaten them 1-0 at Ewood Park in November.
Farke Refusing To Set Points Target
Last season, Leeds finished on 90 points. However, in what must be considered a freak season, they missed out on automatic promotion to Leicester City and Ipswich Town. Whilst refusing to set a points target for the next couple of months, Farke has suggested that a similar haul to last season will see them in the mix for the top two.
The German coach has also challenged his squad to keep winning or risk falling out of the top six altogether. Via Leeds Live, the 48-year-old said:
“I don’t look too far ahead. I don’t have a special points amount for January and February. It is game after game.
“We are on an incredible run. Someone told me that this is the best Christmas run this club has ever had in terms of points. We are on a really good run but you always have to be switched on and ready for the next game to make sure this run continues.
“We had a good run last year and we didn’t get promoted. If you want to finish in the top positions, you can’t stop winning points. We are on 52 points right now and we are top of the league. We have a really good points tally, more than two per game, but if we stop winning points we won’t make the top six, never mind the top two.
“If you are in and around 90 points, we know we will have a good chance of finishing in the top positions in this league.”
Writer’s View
Farke has clearly laid down the gauntlet to his squad as he looks to avoid a repeat of last season. Although they finished with an incredible points tally, a poor end to the campaign ultimately saw them miss out on promotion and he will be keen to avoid a similar fate. However, few will bet against Leeds and it already looks as if a return to the Premier League is on the cards.
Head of Writing
