Is getting promoted to the Premier League too easy if you've just been relegated?
Daniel Storey from the i Newspaper has been telling The Football News Show about a problem brewing in winning promotion and battling the drop.
Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer here
Chelsea have made a winger one of their summer transfer priorities, with Leeds United's Dutch under-21 international Crysencio Summerville, 22, a top target. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
What's the difference between a press and a counter-press? Route one and possession football? Counter-attacking and parking the bus?
Patrick Bamford nobly attempts to explain these football tactics and gives insight into what style he most enjoys playing and watching.
Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter
Tea, that most quintessential of English drinks is often referred to by Leeds United manager Daniel Farke, accompanied with a slice of cake.
Whether having a cup on the sofa to celebrate a victory or to challenge those responsible for the relentless fixture schedule, Farke cleverly weaves his adopted country's favourite brew into various scenarios.
After a hard-fought night at the coal face against Stoke City, his men had to delve to the bottom of the flask to prevail.
"At Elland Road people expect us to beat every opponent and, right now, against a team not in the best position in the league, it should be an easy win. It feels like the atmosphere in the stadium is of people going for a cup of tea and a cake perhaps, instead of this explosion we had against Leicester, when everyone was on it," said the German.
Farke made it clear he is not criticising the club's fans, but he did add that they are essential, especially in this period of grinding through the multitude of games during which it "feels like Leeds against the world so we need our supporters even more".
He continued: "You can't also expect Elland Road is always such a firework. When you have 23 home games, plus cup games, then it's more like a candle that burns from both sides. And probably at the end of the season no-one shows up at Elland Road any more. We need our supporters further on."
United may not be drinking from the finest china at the moment, but even if it is from a builder's mug, the Earl Grey all goes down the same hole and has the same effect.
Some of the 10 wins from the past 11 league games may taste a bit different, but there is always a satisfying feeling afterwards.
Come May, Farke may just be able to take the "knife between the teeth" - which is how he describes how many opponents are fighting - to cut a celebratory slice of 'victorious' sponge, washed down with a classic cuppa.
Image source, Getty ImagesLeeds could play a part in something never seen before in English football this season.
If the Whites, Leicester and Southampton manage to secure promotion to the top flight, it will be the first time that all three relegated teams go back up at the first possible opportunity.
If only two of the three teams secure promotion, it will be the seventh time that has happened, with Norwich and Watford in 2020-21 the most recent to achieve this feat.
Kieran McKenna's Ipswich are the team most likely to disrupt this record as they are currently second with 10 games to go.
Game on!
Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Friday's Championship trip to Sheffield Wednesday (20:00 GMT kick-off).
The Whites take their 11-match unbeaten league run to Hillsborough where they will come up against resurgent hosts who have won four games in a row.
Here are the key lines from the news conference:
There are no fresh injury worries after Tuesday's hard-fought 1-0 win over Stoke City and Farke expects to name the same squad. That means Jaidon Anthony will be missing for personal reasons after the funeral of his mother earlier in the week. Farke confirmed that United's Ian Poveda is ineligible for Sheffield Wednesday as part of the terms of his loan deal.
Farke said he has been impressed with how his attacking players have coped with the physical challenges they have been subjected to recently, adding: "You are in the spotlight as an offensive player - as a striker, a number 10 or a winger. The opponent is even more focused and concentrated on you. They try to double up on players or play more aggressively... sometimes over the line."
He continued: "I've spoken about this topic. The referee helps protect the health of the players better, and makes it clear early in the game that it's also about health. You can be competitive and aggressive, but make sure after the game that everyone can still walk."
Farke on Friday's fixture: "It's two sides who are on really good form. They're still in a position where they have to fight against relegation but they are one of the most in-form teams at the moment. We are also in brilliant shape."
Image source, PA MediaManager Daniel Farke was pleased that Leeds United extended their "remarkable" run of form on Tuesday, keeping the pressure on Leicester City and Ipswich Town at the top of the Championship with a 1-0 home win over Stoke City.
"In the first half, I was pretty happy," said Farke. "We created so many chances but just scored one goal out of our dominance. In the second half, we were a bit too concentrated on our transition moments instead of dominating the game more with possession and being rock solid against the ball.
"Obviously, it was tempting because we had so many good counter-attacking situations and great chances, two or three times we were one against one with the goalkeeper. If you don't score the second goal, it's a bit like a basketball game - transition, transition - they also had their spells and some good shooting positions.
"It was a hard-fought win. These types of wins, especially when the schedule is like this, are the best wins."
Leeds have taken 31 points from their 11 league games since the turn of the year.
Farke added: "Having this schedule and to be unbeaten in 2024 with this amount of wins -10 wins and one draw, eight clean sheets and three times we have just conceded one goal - it is remarkable. We are pretty happy with the lads.
"The only problem is we have to recover again pretty quickly - in two and a half days we face another opponent [Sheffield Wednesday on Friday] and we have to be on it again."
Listen to more reaction to Tuesday's Championship games on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast has been previewing Leeds United's upcoming games against Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday, and the state of play in the Championship title race.
Sports editor Jonny Buchan said: "A big week ahead because it's two games that many people will look at and be like 'win, win'. That's what it has to be - particularly with the way that results have gone over the weekend.
"Leicester losing, Southampton winning just, Ipswich winning. I feel like now it's a four-horse race for the title."
He continued: "Leeds have to show some sort of bouncebackability and get a really good display on Tuesday to take down to Hillsborough on Friday."
Commentator Adam Pope added: "It does feel like this is must-win against Stoke, because it is points dropped if they don't beat Stoke.
"I'm not saying it's creating more pressure on Leeds because we sort of expect them to win at home. But bearing in mind what's to come on Friday, I think they've got to get this one over the line."
Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix said: "The minimum requirement at this stage is to win at home and draw away. If we can win some away games as well, that really puts us in the mix."
Adonis Storr
Fan writer
Everyone connected with English football has a love-hate relationship with the Championship. The games can feel like the antidote to the modern era - a purist's dream - no VAR, lenient refereeing, unkempt pitches and tiny grounds modestly full of only the most loyal supporters.
Huddersfield away at midday on Saturday felt like that. Leeds came to play, Huddersfield to frustrate. In the Premier League, Huddersfield would undoubtedly have had fewer than the 10 men they ended with.
"It was a difficult away game, a difficult pitch, and more or less the ball was never in play," Daniel Farke said of the West Yorkshire derby on Monday. Farke was referring to the reported 22 minutes the ball was actually in play during the 54-minute first half.
Broadcasters, clubs, fans and the football authorities all agree that the sport should be as entertaining as possible. Time-wasting is not entertaining, not even for the purists.
Leeds fans have asked for improvements to standards for decades, but Saturday's derby was evidence those calls have fallen on deaf ears.
If the Championship is to grow as a brand, authorities must enforce rules that favour entertaining football.
Adonis Storr can be found at The Roaring Peacock, external
Leeds United and West Ham United are watching 21-year-old defender Archie Brown, who plays for Belgian side Gent. The former Derby County youngster is also being scouted by Chelsea. (HITC), external
After Leeds United's 1-1 draw against 10-man Huddersfield Town on Saturday, the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast has been discussing the impact of fatigue on the side's performance after a busy week of big games, with Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix comparing it with a band being on tour.
Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter
There is still time for Leeds United to break their club equalling record of nine consecutive league victories...
After the draw at Huddersfield Town ended the winning romp, there are 11 Championship fixtures remaining, beginning with Stoke City on Tuesday. Always look on the bright side.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before that game.
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
He does not need to lift the dressing room despite the end of their nine-game winning streak: "We have a pretty young side and one that is experienced in winning recently. [But] I’ve said to never underestimate a point on the road. It’s a small step forward."
Indeed, Farke is taking the many positives from their form: "Overall we are in brilliant shape. There is no reason to dwell on the draw."
He wants to win every game, but knows home form could still be the clincher for getting them over the line: "If someone would guarantee me that we win all our home games and just have a draw in our away games. I wouldn't sign it because as I told you I want to win each and every game. But I think the outcome would please many, many people here around the club. If we do it like this, we will finish the season with 96 points. This is happy days."
In terms of team news, Leeds United will be without Jaidon Anthony who will be attending his mother's funeral and Jamie Shackleton who is undergoing concussion protocols respectively for tomorrow night’s visit of Stoke City.
Shackleton will also miss the trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night. Meanwhile, left-back Junior Firpo is a doubt with a calf problem but Sam Byram is ready for more minutes now after recovering from a hamstring problem.
Commentary of Leeds United v Stoke City will be available on BBC Radio Leeds from 19:45 GMT on Tuesday
BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast has bemoaned the lack of football on display during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Huddersfield.
Sports editor Jonny Buchan: "It was unbelievable wasn't it? The ball was only in play for 22 minutes in the first half, which of course was the least this season for Leeds in the Championship."
Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix agreed: "It didn't really get the pulse racing. It was quite hard work to watch so commentating on it must have been an absolute nightmare. It seemed like the ball was never in play.
"I was packing to go to London, I'd go off and grab something and then come back and see the same guy still on the same bit of floor!"
Lewis Deighton
Fan writer
It's been a fun week supporting Leeds United - beating top of the Championship Leicester City in dramatic fashion and going toe-to-toe with billion-pound Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Knowing that this Daniel Farke side is unfazed by the pressure of a big occasion, there was no doubt in my mind that we'd get the better of Leicester last Friday night - but the way in which we did made it all the sweeter.
Teenage prodigy Archie Gray scoring his first professional goal for Leeds under the Elland Road lights, to put us ahead after trailing just three minutes prior, it's what football is all about. Moments like those are the ones you live for.
The whole place was bouncing for those final 10 minutes. All four corners of the stadium completely unhinged. It's been a long time coming - finally looking like real contenders for automatic promotion. Full-time saw 35,000 Leeds fans belting out I Predict A Riot by Kaiser Chiefs, which topped off a spectacular evening.
Having lost the League Cup final to Liverpool on Sunday, Chelsea were hit with the line "it's been Klopp's kids against the blue billion-pound bottlejobs", and on Wednesday night it took them all of eight minutes to be undone by 20-year-old Mateo Joseph – Leeds United's fifth choice striker, who cost £900,000 and went on to score a double.
Academy graduate Gray was excellent once again, bettering Chelsea's midfield pairing of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, who cost a combined fee of over £200m.
I'm not disappointed, though. Even with a weakened Championship side we outplayed one of the Premier League big boys, and it was worth the 416-mile round trip to see us make that statement.
Lewis Deighton can be found at LUFC Lewis, external
Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before his side travel to Huddersfield Town in the Championship on Saturday (12:30 GMT kick-off).
United will break a 72-year-old club record if they take three points from The John Smith's Stadium by recording a 10th consecutive league win.
The club's 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions came to a heart-breaking halt at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea came out on top by the odd goal with a late winner in a five-goal FA Cup thriller.
Here are the key lines from Farke's news conference:
Georginio Rutter (hip) is available after missing the FA Cup tie at Chelsea. Patrick Bamford and Crysencio Summerville have trained. There is also a chance for Illia Gruev to be involved, providing he has no reaction to Thursday's session. There is a slight chance Joe Gelhardt (back) may have recovered in time. Jamie Shackleton (ill) is set to miss out again.
Playing early is a chance to put pressure on United's three closest rivals for automatic promotion, who play a few hours later. But Farke says the lunchtime kick-off does reduce preparation and recovery time after a tough night at Chelsea: "I don't like them. Some fans won't like them. There are early team meetings. The players have to eat at a strange time with their carbs and noodles at 8am. It's not natural."
However, he added: "We are used to it. The early kick-off is strange - but once you are there and you press the button, it's fine. Earlier kick-off allows you to get back to the sofa sooner."
On the possible new club record: "We are joint leaders [nine in a row]. I would take another win, not for the record books, but to improve our situation. The guys are on an amazing run. I want an amazing position after 46 games."
Asked what he knows about Huddersfield boss Andre Breitenreiter, Farke said: "We know each other very well. He's a very good coach and is a good signing for Huddersfield."
Breitenreiter has worked with United duo Willy Gnonto and Rutter. Farke is used to English derbies whereas Breitenreiter is not, but Farke said his opposite number knows all about these games in Germany when he was in charge of Schalke 04 and they played bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Leeds striker Patrick Bamford answered some quick-fire questions on the United dressing room on the latest episode of My Mate's A Footballer.
How long are you in the dressing room before a game? "General rule of thumb is an hour and a half before, but this year we do an hour and 15 minutes before."
Where is the manager while you're getting changed? "In an away dressing room, he'll be sitting there doing whatever he's doing. In the home dressing room, he'll be in the coaches' room until he has to come in and do the chat."
Are there any no-nos in the dressing room? "The only rule is not to be on your phone in terms of texting and calling. If you're watching videos to help you with the game or listening to music, that's allowed."
Who cleans the mess in a dressing room? "It's the kit men, but the players who are the last ones out the shower, or last ones getting changed, will help."
Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter
Archie Gray has been making headlines since the weekend after continuing a family scoring legacy for Leeds United dating back to New Year's Day 1966 - when his great uncle, Eddie, opened his account for the club, to be followed by grandfather Frank and his own dad, Andy, in the decades to come.
Five days later, the 17-year-old's commanding display in the middle of the park at Stamford Bridge - in his natural position having played full-back for most of his breakthrough campaign - proved he is capable of playing against top-flight opposition in Chelsea.
He dominated the midfield against Argentina's World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez and Ecuador international Moises Caicedo in the 3-2 FA Cup defeat, after which his manager, Daniel Farke, added: "To convince me I didn't need to see him as I knew before he could deliver a top performance.
"But, I think for his development it was important that he could prove to himself he could be there with an outstanding performance, even on this level against these top-class players."
The same can be said of 20-year-old striker Mateo Joseph, who scored two stunning goals to kick off his senior club tally. His movement and aggression were matched with two clinical strikes, and they looked to be enough to take the tie to extra time before substitute Conor Gallagher settled it in the last knockings.
Like Gray, Joseph is part of the England youth set-up and felt he should have had a hat-trick. "I think I could have scored another one but it's getting even better every day and trying to improve that," he said.
That attitude of self-improvement will hold him and Gray in good stead.
Joseph revealed the pair of them had an embrace at Stamford Bridge after the game reflecting on the progress they are making.
"We said: 'Remember when we were playing here with the 21s?' Hopefully it's a long journey with him and we can bring to the club big things and so many wins."
Not just the club but the country look to have a bright future ahead with such talent emerging.
We asked you for your thoughts on Wednesday's FA Cup tie between Chelsea and Leeds.
Here are some of your comments:
Kev: Boys done us proud. We went toe-to-toe with one of the heavyweights of English football and did us proud. We were certainly the best team in the second half and was cruelly denied the chance to win it in extra time.
Alan: Fantastic performance, looked totally at ease with a Premier League team, would have been nice to have won, but delighted to be out so we can focus on promotion!
Eric: I think that Leeds came out in their usual style and attacked and deservedly went ahead. However, once Chelsea got their second I thought the lads looked heavy-legged and second-best to most 50/50 chances. After the break they came out fighting, but they need to have more finesse on the ball and be more clinical with their chances.
Joseph: I was at the Bridge and we gave them a good battle, and showed what we are capable of. Huge shoutouts to Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph who were excellent. Sad to go out of the FA Cup, but a blessing in disguise as we can fully focus on the promotion battle now.
Tim: Thought Leeds played really well throughout but I’m partly pleased we can now concentrate on winning the Championship
