Leeds United

Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter

For the first time this season in the Championship, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke will have to make a change to his back five at Bristol City on Saturday.

Left-back Junior Firpo picked up a fifth caution in the midweek victory over Watford and will serve a one-match suspension for having done so within the first 19 league fixtures. Sam Byram or Isaac Schmidt are waiting in the wings to step in.

In an age when yellow cards are shown more freely there is an argument the law needs changing to up the threshold. With just 11 games played, Farke looks likely to soon have more enforced partnerships in front of Illan Meslier, with both Joe Rodon and Jayden Bogle one caution away from bans.

The arrival of free agent and former France international Josuha Guilavogui will provide defensive cover, despite the 34-year-old essentially being a midfielder.

Led by the imperious Pascal Struijk as captain, six clean sheets in the past 10 games have provided an impressive amount of concrete under the dance floor upon which the flair players are strutting their stuff - and strut it they have despite a lack of consistency in selection in the exciting final third.

The sale of Georginio Rutter to Brighton after the campaign began, along with injuries to Dan James and Tottenham loanee Manor Solomon has meant that only Willy Gnonto has been named in every starting XI bar the League Cup defeat by Middlesbrough.

Yet, despite the disruption, the chances have flowed and the goals too, with 15 having been shared between the attackers when you include Largie Ramazani and Joel Piroe. With Patrick Bamford yet to score having only been used as a substitute in the Championship this term it leaves Solomon the only one of the starters at the club yet to open his tally.

The Israel international, who replaced the injured Ramazani (ankle) in midweek, feels he will contribute soon: "I'm back after a few weeks because of a small injury in training one month ago. It stopped my momentum. It's behind me. I want to get more minutes and show a better version of myself. I'm not at the top of the game yet but I'll get there."

Solomon has acknowledged the intense nature of the second tier having come from the Premier League. He also feels he has a job on his hands to stay in the side when all his team-mates are fit. "We have four wingers with top quality. It's a fair competition and the best will play."

As to whether he is part of a squad best suited to win the title, Solomon was cautiously optimistic: "I can't tell yet. I haven't faced all the teams so far. When I've seen everyone I will give you an answer.

"But, definitely, we are one of the top sides in the league. We have a great team, a great manager and we have the players and everything we need to go up."

Listen to West Yorkshire Sport Daily, weeknights at 18:00, and subscribe to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast on BBC Sounds

In the latest My Mates A Footballer, Patrick Bamford introduces former Leeds United team-mate Luke Ayling to comedian Joe Wilkinson.

Ayling discusses a storied career that began at Arsenal before ending up under Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough and reveals why he loves playing for the former Manchester United midfielder.

He also reveals why Bamford was known as a 'Trojan' after he joined the Whites and how Thierry Henry 'ended' his Gunners career.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

After Leeds United signed 34-year-old former France international Josuha Guilavogui on a contract to the end of the season, we asked you for you views on the new arrival.

Here are some of your comments:

Josh: Physical presence, midfield and defensive cover, experience at high levels in Europe. What more could we ask for? Can hopefully help guide the youthful midfield and ensure this season we go up without the stress of the play-offs.

Robert: What harm can signing him do? He is very experienced and can play in multiple team positions (hopefully ALL at once!), if the injury's continue to mount up. Good luck to the lad.

David: Given his career to date is likely to be a competent Championship player, hence being signed to the end of the season. I hope he proves to be a step up and solves more problems than he presents. At 6ft2in he could be a threat at set-pieces. If he’s just a cheap option, it will be harder to sustain a promotion push if we have injuries.

MCG: Added experience to the squad can only be beneficial but I would much prefer to provide opportunities to young talent (like Charlie Crew) who know the club, the system we play and have a commitment to the future. We should be giving people like him more minutes and experience to enable them to be better prepared to fill in if needed.

Eric: At 34 years old, will he have the legs to go the distance and how susceptible will he be to injuries? He sounds like a pleasant guy, but until we see how he plays and fits in with Leeds' style we won't know. From what I have seen so far, Tanaka and Rothwell are doing a sterling job for the injured Ampadu and Gruev.

Leeds United's Patrick Bamford has been speaking about the infamous 'spy-gate' incident during Marcelo Bielsa's time at the club.

Speaking on the latest of BBC Sounds' My Mate's A Footballer podcast, Bamford explains how opponents predicted line-ups were always correct and that the players had no idea the spying was happening.

Listen to a full episode here

Image source, Leeds United

So, Leeds United have signed 34-year-old former France international Josuha Guilavogui, who can play in both defence and midfield, on a contract to the end of the season.

Daniel Farke's squad has been hit with a series of key injuries in the early part of the season, with club captain Ethan Ampadu, centre-back partner Max Wober and holding midfielder Illia Gruev among the long-term absentees.

Given the squad has been light in some areas, the signing of free agent Guilavogui - who has played for clubs including Saint-Etienne, Atletico Madrid and Wolfsburg - could be just what the Whites need as they continue their early bid for promotion.

Is he the man your side needs, Leeds fans? Are there other areas of the squad that need strengthening to sustain a challenge? Tell us here, external

Adonis Storr
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Last week Leeds United’s chief executive Angus Kinnear and chairman Paraag Marathe gave a ‘behind closed doors’ question-and-answer session with Leeds United Supporters Trust members.

What should have been a real opportunity to engage with fans in an honest way, felt like a rushed, box-ticking exercise, full of practised PR responses that left more questions than answers.

It is in the public interest for the competence of football club’s custodians to be scrutinised. However, in refusing to speak to journalists, Kinnear has made that scrutiny impossible.

Communication is key to any relationship but the connection Leeds fans have felt to the people behind the scenes at their club has weakened since the dismissal of Marcelo Bielsa.

As much as tactics, Bielsa’s epic news conferences felt more like lectures on the need to put fans first in modern football. Daniel Farke could never be expected to compete with the Argentinian, but Bielsa leaving caused a communication void.

It is difficult to disentangle Kinnear from the mistakes of the previous Andrea Radrizani regime. His Square Ball interview, coupled with previous communication gaffes – like comparing an independent football regulator to the regime that oversaw the largest famine in human history – have not helped his standing.

Meanwhile, Marathe’s communication style seems similar to the one Jesse Marsch employed when he was Leeds manager. Impossibly positive and slick corporate language that talks around subjects in platitudes. It grated on many Leeds fans when employed by Marsch and I have not seen evidence of it working for Marathe.

Leeds fans have been badly burnt in the past: Peter Risdale, Ken Bates, GFH Financial Group and Massimo Cellino - among others - have left the fanbase more distrustful than most. 49ers Enterprises and Red Bull have a lot of work to do to assuage fan fears at Leeds.

Find more from Adonis Storr at The Roaring Peacock, external

Leeds United and their fans can be "content" with the club's start to the season as they sit third in the Championship after the first 10 games, says the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.

BBC Radio Leeds' Jonny Buchan, Adam Pop and Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix have been comparing the side's campaign so far to this stage last year.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Leeds United face Watford at Elland Road after an impressive 2-0 victory over promotion rivals Sheffield United.

Manager Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media. Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no fresh injuries. Winger Willy Gnonto (shoulder) has some bruising but is expected to be fit. Farke said: “No big concerns, no one picked up an injury during the game, nothing that should disturb us, we have our long term ones but all the others are available.”

• Max Wober, Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev remain sidelined.

• Asked what he has done to ensure Tanaka and Rothwell reflect the work that injured duo Gruev and Amapadu do, Farke said: “We can’t make other players out of them and I don’t want this, we want to use their skills, they are tidy on the ball with imagination and creativity going forward and also breaking the lines of the ball. But of course it differs when you go with a different approach so it needs a bit of time. It’s always consistent working, in the last game they got better and better and long may it continue.”

• Leeds have been linked with midfielders Francis Coquelin, Cheikhou Kouyaté and ex France international Josuha Guilavogui who was recently at Mainz. Asked if any progress has been made on signing a free agent, Farke said: “A bit closer, latest by the end of the next week we will have a decision made but it can happen quick and let’s see.”

• On why he keeps the pitch wet: “We take care of each and every percent and it’s important not to overlook. A wet pitch always helps. It’s important also that the ball boys are not sleepy, it’s important to have the ball speed high. It’s important that the surface is perfect, I am not a greenkeeper but they know my wish. We need to take a look under each and every stone.”

• How he will approach Watford, Farke added: “We always try to be ourselves on the pitch and to be the protagonist but it’s also important to be prepared for different scenarios. It’s important not to be predictable. It’s always to find good solutions but it’s quite often after the game that you find out. We always try to be ourselves.”

Listen to West Yorkshire Sport Daily, weeknights at 18:00, and subscribe to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast on BBC Sounds

The latest episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast has arrived and this week they review Friday's comfortable win over Sheffield United, with a growing feeling emerging that Daniel Farke's side can win the Championship.

Speaking about the 2-0 win, BBC Leeds' correspondent Adam Pope said: "It was two good quality sides feeling each other out for quite a while.

"Sheffield United put five at the back and weren't being adventurous at all - Leeds were by far the better side, you could tell that at 0-0. As it wore on they got the goal and just grew and grew throughout.

"It was a brilliant performance, from front to back - it made me think 'wow!' From all the reservations I had in the summer about the squad, I know they're at the limit with injuries and a couple of players are back on the bench.

"I thought 'wow' if they can do that after a difficult international break - that league is there for someone to gallop away with and I think Leeds are the most likely to do that."

Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix added: "I thought the game would be quite cagey, and I thought they would be more of a match for Leeds - coming down from the Premier League, with good players - players we wanted to buy.

"But, actually they were another team that don't look a threat - and if we can keep chugging on then we can win the league."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Leeds United

Legendary former Leeds captain Lucas Radebe says it is "encouraging" for him that young people are committed to anti-racism movements in the local community.

Radebe - who grew up during the apartheid regime in his native South Africa - led workshops alongside Leeds winger Largie Ramazani at Elland Road for academy players and local children as part of Black History Month.

"It's great coming back and bringing back those great memories from the club," he told BBC Radio Leeds.

"It made me who I am and being able to come back and do different programmes with - like we have been doing today with Black History Month - is very important for us.

"Actually interacting - we had the academy players talk about my background and where I come from in terms of apartheid and racism. Also being at Elland Road, it is very encouraging for me to see young kids are taking up the message and making an impact into their communities.

"This is, for me, very impressive and it makes my day full of encouragement."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

On the latest episode of the My Mate's A Footballer podcast, Joe Wilkinson and Patrick Bamford discuss who decides how a team travels to an away game and what it is really like in the dressing room after a team-mate has made a high-profile mistake.

Listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds

Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before his side return to Championship action against Sheffield United at Elland Road on Friday (20:00 BST kick-off).

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• Max Wober (knee) is recovering from surgery ahead of schedule but will miss the derby along with long-term injury absentees Ethan Ampadu and Illia Gruev.

• Wingers Dan James and Manor Solomon are back in full training and are available after injury. Ao Tanaka, Junior Firpo, Willy Gnonto and Brenden Araonson will be assessed when they return from international duty. "We need to make some late decisions as need to wait until all players are back," said Farke.

• The Whites boss said he has not had to speak too much with goalkeeper Ilan Meslier after his mistake at Sunderland: "He’s experienced. We didn't have to analyse it too much. It was a situation - it happens once in a lifetime. Most disappointed player in the dressing room [was Meslier]. You're suffering for two or three days, then you get on with it."

• On Senegal international Cheikhou Kouyate, who has been linked as a signing: "I never confirm any names and I won't speak about players who are not under contract with us. I just speak about our players. We have a few ideas and we're carefully optimistic we'll be able to bring in a good solution in the upcoming days or weeks, but I cannot say names. We're not too far from making a decision with the next two weeks."

• Asked about what atmosphere the game will be played in after the death of former Sheffield United defender George Baldock at the age of 31 last week, Farke said: "Always difficult with such a tragedy. Our thoughts are there with him and his family. Even a few players in our squad have played with him. It's unbelievably sad news. It's not easy to get on with it in first few days - you're lost for words and football is not important in this moment. The life of a human being is always more important than any point."

• On preparing for the game: "It's always tricky during the international break for a team with so many players away. I'm struggling to understand the fixture list - playing on Friday night after the international break. We have players who arrive late today. When we play on Saturday, you have at least one training session with the team."

• He added: "It is a bit disappointing and sad because it's a great game. Normally both teams want to be at their best. We knew about the schedule list and, for that, no complaints. Tricky without team training to prepare but we want to find good solutions."

Listen to West Yorkshire Sport Daily, weeknights at 18:00, and subscribe to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast on BBC Sounds

On the latest episode of My Mate's A Footballer, Patrick Bamford reveals that the Leeds squad have to pay for the meals they eat at the training ground, with the cost getting deducted from their salary.

Listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds

Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, 34, had a medical at Leeds United on Tuesday as a free agent following his summer departure from Nottingham Forest. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Cheikhou Kouyate has been at Leeds United's training ground over the international break, but any deal to sign the former Premier League midfielder is "very much in the balance" according to BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope.

Speaking about Kouyate on the latest Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, Pope said: "There seems to be some dispute about what's been going on here - but he's a free agent, he's probably best known for his time at West Ham and Palace as well.

"He's a free agent, Senegal international and as I understand he has been round Thorpe Arch but it was very much in the balance as to whether any deal would be done.

"We know [Daniel] Farke doesn't like a free agent particularly, but needs must in difficult times - that's not to say a deal won't be done but it's very much in the balance. I don't know if they're both convinced it's what they all want.

"But as far as I know he's been up there for a little while."

Kaiser Chiefs' bassist Simon Rix added: "To me if I was at Leeds United, with everyone that has been injured and gone off on international break, the people that are left can't train properly as there isn't enough warm bodies!

"To get a few free transfers in for training sessions with that kind of experience - I think it's a great idea and something that can be done more often.

"Obviously [Kouyate] isn't the first choice person because they'd have signed him already. Having a few extra people around the training ground and squad would be a good thing because the squad may be too thin.

"Sometimes you just need extra people who maybe won't play but they're around in case the worst happens."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds