Leeds United: Can Leeds do it on a cold, raining night in Stoke?
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00:00Of course, we mentioned there Lee that Leeds are winning at home, winning handsomely at home, winning a lot of games at home.
00:07But what's to come is, over the festive period just after Christmas, a couple of away games.
00:14Now Leeds haven't been great away from home.
00:17We've mentioned this far too many times that that's what's letting them down a little bit this season
00:21and that's probably why they aren't on top of the league when they possibly could be.
00:24They're failing away from home.
00:28Firstly, we've got Stoke and then we've got Derby.
00:31So we'll start with Stoke.
00:33Now, there's the cliché, what is it, a cold night, windy night at Stoke.
00:39That could be the case, to be honest, given the way it is winter.
00:43So can Leeds defy the stereotypes and go there and not only go against the cold and wet, windy night at Stoke,
00:51and can they also sort out their own away form?
00:54Can they do it on a cold, boxing day night in Stoke?
00:57It will be this, obviously, 8pm kick-off.
00:59I mean, one to really get your head around that.
01:02This is basically, it feels like, sort of like the acid test really for Leeds now.
01:06I mean, obviously, you've talked about their away form.
01:08And so the first thing to say is that Daniel Farker has said this a few times.
01:11He's kind of defended the away record and I kind of get where he's coming from.
01:14I think as we record this now, ahead of the game, they're eighth in the Championship away table,
01:18which isn't too bad, but equally, it isn't absolutely fantastic.
01:23I mean, you're absolutely right.
01:24That's the reason, quite simply, why they're not top of the division,
01:26because your away form hasn't been quite good enough.
01:29And speaking to a few of the players at the Leeds Children's Hospital visit,
01:33it was pretty much sort of like admitted that the squad weren't happy with your away form and needed improving on.
01:37And it does.
01:38And basically, I feel like they've got to go into these next two games now and get six points, you know,
01:42and that's what it's all about.
01:43And obviously, you deal with one of them first, which is Stoke.
01:45And they've got to go there and win.
01:47I mean, it's a massive, massive opportunity.
01:49Because obviously, the table could look very, very differently in terms of the fixtures,
01:53because obviously, you've got a massive game at 3pm of Sheffield United v Burnley.
01:56So, one of those two is going to drop points.
01:58But both can't take three points, obviously.
02:00So, one way or the other, the table's going to look, you know,
02:02there's going to be an opening for Leeds when they kick off at Stoke at 8pm.
02:05And, you know, they should be going there and getting a win, basically.
02:10I mean, let's not beat around the bushes.
02:12Obviously, one of those games you look at, I think that could be a tough game there.
02:15But when you actually look at it on paper, I think it will be a tough game.
02:18But Stoke have got the troubles.
02:19You know, the 19th in the table, the 19th in the home table.
02:22So, it's not like it's a fortress ground as such.
02:25Three wins at home all season, four points off the drop zone.
02:29Eight games, no win now.
02:31And four of those are draws.
02:32And obviously, they have a defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
02:34And they've got a manager under pressure.
02:35So, you know, it's all sort of pointing in Leeds' favour.
02:38You could sort of say the Championship being the Championship.
02:40That means they'll go there and get beat, you know.
02:42And I kind of get that.
02:43You know, that's what the Championship's like.
02:45But I just feel like that it almost feels like,
02:48and also speaking to Daniel Farker and the players,
02:50you get the sense there's a real mentality that they know they've got to go
02:54and sort this away for them out now, especially in this first game.
02:57And it sounds like they're leaving no stone unturned in their preparation.
03:01The squad are travelling down actually on Christmas Day
03:04and staying over on Christmas Day night, by the sounds of it.
03:07So, I mean, you know, like, obviously, no sort of Christmas Day
03:09with the family for the players.
03:11They're in Christmas Eve as well.
03:13You know, Leeds have got injuries, but not too bad, particularly.
03:16And so, Stoke have got a lot of injuries.
03:19Everything should point to them going there and getting this done.
03:22And there's no doubt about it.
03:23They're not, you know, like Daniel Farker always says,
03:25everybody can read the fixtures and everybody can look at the table.
03:27The players will look at the table and look at the fixtures.
03:29They'll know, Sheff, you were playing Burnley.
03:31And let's not beat around the bush.
03:32They'll know this is a massive, massive chance to sort of
03:34seriously improve their position in the league table,
03:36whichever way that may be.
03:38Yeah, it's, I mean, the away form, in black and white,
03:42it's not too bad over the whole season.
03:44But what is it?
03:45One win in the last seven away from home.
03:47That ain't good enough.
03:49I think it's seven points out of the last possible 21.
03:52That ain't good enough, really, for a team that's wanting
03:54to get all-night promotion.
03:56And basically, the reason why they're eighth in the table
03:58away from home at the moment is more because
04:00of the earlier season results.
04:02Obviously, that run's coming on the back of away wins.
04:04So, it's time now to get back on an upward curve away from home.
04:08We quite often do these, you know, we always do these,
04:10obviously, in previous games.
04:11I fully expect Leeds to go there and win, to be honest.
04:14There's some away games I go to where I sort of feel like,
04:16you know, it's an away game, this, that, and the other,
04:19especially with the away record of late.
04:20But I just think also, I don't know about they've been
04:22unlucky away from home of late, but, you know,
04:25they have had lots and lots of chances, you know,
04:27and they just haven't taken them.
04:28And you've had, like, I think you've had other factors,
04:30like awful refereeing decisions and this, that,
04:32and the other and stuff.
04:33But it's all very well saying that.
04:35Like, it's all got to add up now.
04:36And, you know, they've got to go there and get a victory.
04:38And, you know, unless something sort of like, you know,
04:41crazy happens in terms of like a really bad decision
04:43or a horrendous error,
04:44I fully expect them to go there and win.
04:45Their odds are on the four to seven, one to two,
04:47which is short, but I can understand why.
04:49So, massive, massive game.
04:52You know, the away form is massively in the spotlight
04:55and they need to go there and win
04:56so that it's less in the spotlight.
04:57But even then, it's not job done
04:58because they're not beyond to Derby.