Leeds United

Adam Pope, BBC Radio Leeds

Marlon Brando as the aged Don Corleone in the Godfather delivered a famous line which may offend some, appear anachronistic to many, yet serves as a life lesson for others. The thrust of it reads: "I spend my life trying not to be careless."

He was advising his son and heir Michael (Al Pacino) that only meticulous planning could save him from mortal danger.

There is, of course, no suggestion that a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland should have Leeds United manager Daniel Farke looking over his shoulder for shadowy figures. However, some fans felt like their hopes of automatic promotion had been assassinated on a sodden Weirside night while Ipswich Town went 10 points clear of the Whites at the top of the Championship after a fourth consecutive win.

The cause of the fans chagrin was a carelessness at the Stadium of Light. Farke, while crediting opposing interim manager Mike Dodds for stifling his side, conceded: "When it came to the decisive moment, we were not tidy, we were not sharp enough with the wrong decisions."

Picking the right pass and moment has not been much of an issue for Leeds under Farke. An average of almost two points per game, a target based on his previous success of twice storming out of the division with Norwich City, is on track. His planning and preparation has left no stone unturned despite additional rocks being thrown underfoot.

His boys may have tripped and fallen along the path a few times, but with more than half of it left to travel the race is far from over. Occasionally faltering is far from fatal.

Simon Rix of the Kaiser Chiefs discussing Leeds United's victory against Blackburn Rovers on BBC Radio Leeds' podcast, Don't Go To Bed Just Yet: "It was an interesting match. I thought we would win it, even though it was 2-0, not a thrilling 5-3, but for a 2-0, there was a lot of back and forth. We had chances, they had chances, had they have been more efficient, it could easily have been a 2-2."

Leeds United reporter Adam Pope added: "We saw the best of Georginio Rutter in those moments but also the worst of Rutter with the finishing. There were two goals, one he didn’t commit to and the other I don’t know how he put it wide, but the rest was great. Archie Gray just goes from strength to strength and even got five minutes at left-back.

"The two midfielders look like the games are catching up to them a little bit with Ethan Ampadu not quite at the levels he has been lately."

Pope on the team news ahead of tonight's game against Sunderland: "Sam Byram is going to be out certainly until New Year's Day with a hamstring injury and Junior Firpo is still not ready to come back. Jamie Shackleton has a glute problem. What is Daniel Farke going to do?

"I think the question is does he choose either, Djed Spence, Gray or Luke Ayling and then move somebody out of position? It doesn’t sound like he is going to use Leo Hjelde and the other option is put Pascal Struijk there and bring Liam cooper in. He has got options, but there's going to be a bit of disruption. Has Spence got 90 minutes in him and do you want him to play left-back? Did you see enough of him on Saturday?"

Listen to the full podcast here on BBC Sounds

Adonis Storr, The Roaring Peacock, external

It has been a start to a Championship season like few others.

No team in the past 19 seasons has racked up the points Leicester City and Ipswich Town have after 20 games. And, as hopes rise among the Leeds United fanbase, eyes have turned to the table.

"For us it's not important what the others are doing," Daniel Farke said in his pre-Sunderland news conference on Monday.

While the Leeds manager may not be "addicted to looking at the table", fans find that harder to resist. And their excitement is not unwarranted. Farke's projected 94 points would have been enough for automatic promotion in each of the past 19 seasons.

And while Ipswich are enjoying a fairy-tale run even their own fans cannot believe, Opta does not believe it either. The Tractor Boys are fourth on their "expected points" table, a table in which Leeds are top.

Farke has called the Championship relentless. He has asked his players to be relentless and despite the stats, Leeds will indeed need to be relentless to catch this top two.

But the fans' optimism is more than justified. For Ipswich and Leeds it seems a case of who will blink first.

Leeds United beat Blackburn to keep up the promotion pace in the Championship on Saturday.

However, it is not all rosy as injury issues are mounting up again.

There is also the small matter of a trip to Sunderland for Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix to discuss.

Listen now on BBC Sounds

Adam Pope, BBC Radio Leeds

Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Leeds travel to Sunderland on Tuesday hoping to extend their seven-match unbeaten streak in the Championship.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Farke does have injury concerns with Sam Byram (hamstring) and Jamie Shackleton (glute) both missing and the former not expected back until the new year.

• Options to replace Byram at left-back include Djed Spence, Luke Ayling, Archie Gray and Pascal Struijk with Leo Hjelde unlikely to come in: "I trust my whole group. If one player's not available, it's always a chance for a different player. This is a typical situation in the Championship. I'm used to it. We just have to adapt."

• However, Farke said he is considering the position for the January transfer window and was doing so even before Byram and Junior Firpo (hamstring) were injured. The latter is close to returning to training.

• There is also some illness in the camp but Patrick Bamford, who missed out at the weekend, has been training today and ought to be part of the matchday squad.

• Farke is adamant that the results of rivals Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton are not his focus at this stage. Instead, he says his only priority in terms of points is maintaining an average of two a game, because that usually gives you every chance of going up automatically. "We are addicted to trying to win games."

• On Sunderland who have sacked manager Tony Mowbray recently he says: "It tells you a lot about this club when they are sitting in the top six but they part ways with a pretty experienced manager. It tells you a lot about expectations and where they want to finish."

• On needing to stay strong to keep players in the January window. “You can’t be successful with just eleven players. I don’t see any key player who is important to us leaving in January.”

Image source, Getty Images

Crysencio Summerville is keen to "show his best version at Leeds" as he leads the Whites' promotion charge.

The winger has been in exceptional form with eight goals and six assists already this season.

He told BBC Radio Leeds that he is enjoying his football under Daniel Farke.

"We are together and have one goal," he said. "We help each other a lot and the staff and coaching team make it good so we can perform on the pitch.

"The manager speaks with me a lot about my end product and how to be consistent. I know what I can do but he makes things clear for me on the pitch. You guys can see that I am enjoying myself."

Summerville says his only ambition this season is to get promotion with Leeds, but accepts he does have one eye on achieving international honours with the Netherlands.

"I just do my best and give everything in training and on the pitch," he said, "and the call-up will come."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has won the Championship manager-of-the-month award for November as the Whites continue their push for promotion back to the Premier League.

Farke guided Leeds to three wins from four, beating Leicester, Plymouth and Swansea as well as drawing with Rotherham.

Victory over Middlesbrough to kick off December has put them third, seven points behind the automatic promotion spots.

Watch a snippet of Farke on BBC West Yorkshire Sport, external

Adam Pope, BBC Radio Leeds

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke takes a six-match unbeaten run in the Championship to Ewood Park on Saturday lunchtime (KO: 12.30pm).

He has been speaking to the media before facing Blackburn and here is the best of what he had to say:

• Junior Firpo (hamstring) and Stuart Dallas (femur) are out. Joe Gelhardt (hip) should be available along with Sam Byram and Crysencio Summerville. Luke Ayling (knee) is a doubt.

• On the club’s good disciplinary record with no suspensions for amassing five cautions so far, Farke said: “I don’t want unnecessary bookings or suspensions. Two or three per cent can be decisive."

• Farke says Ian Poveda was "desperate to go, with his family roots" to join up with Colombia, adding: "You want each and every player available. But on the other hand, we always allow a player if he's called up to go to his national team. This is not a normal call-up period but it's a great honour."

• Poveda will return on 18 December, so will miss three games.

• Asked what Blackburn Rovers are doing well to allow Sammie Szmodics to score 14 goals, Farke said he "likes them and rates them", adding: "It's important that you are rock solid against them. They can create a lot."

Adam Pope, BBC Radio Leeds

"I don't want that to happen again," says Dan James with a genuine desire to put a difficult year behind him.

The winger looked surplus to requirements at Elland Road under former manager Jesse Marsch and was sent on loan to Fulham where he scored three goals in 23 appearances.

"Not every year is going to be moving forward," James tells BBC Radio Leeds. "It was kind of a learning curve going out on loan and maybe not playing as much as I wanted to and come back. It gives you that fight to make sure it doesn't happen again."

With the World Cup thrown into the middle of last season it meant there was a lot of disruption for the Wales international and his family, who were not able to move into a house until after he returned from Qatar last December.

Even pre-season was delayed after international duty for James, who was delighted to learn of Daniel Farke's intentions for him when he arrived back at Elland Road.

"He wants me here and I said exactly the same," said James

"Having that was really nice to hear. We spoke about last season and I wanted to come here this season and show what I can give to the team. Last season wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I wanted to put that in the past. He's been great with me since day one."

Farke's faith in James has been repaid. Six goals and four assists in 17 Championship appearances is the proof that the 26-year-old speed merchant has added finishing to his repertoire. James reveals that Farke has not tweaked his game particularly but admits that if he misses a chance he now has "a resilience" to get in that position again and score.

James told BBC Radio Leeds: "I've come out of games before and I've counted how many shots or crosses I've made and I've made one shot. So how are you going to score in games with just one shot? When I'm coming with six or seven you'd like to think one of them will go in."

James, who is approaching half a century of caps for his country, is hoping to reach Euro 2024 in Germany via the play-offs, which begin with a semi-final against Finland in March. With compatriots Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu playing alongside him at Elland Road it's shaping up to be an exciting campaign for club and country.

With one son just having turned two and beginning to work out what Christmas is, and another on the way in a few months, 2024 on and off the pitch is looking promising for James.

He concludes: "Everything is great at the moment. I'm loving life here."

In the most recent episode of My Mate's A Footballer, Joe Wilkinson reveals actor Jamie Demetriou used to have a cardboard cutout of Patrick Bamford in his living room for three years.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Kaiser Chiefs' bassist Simon Rix has been discussing Patrick Bamford's Leeds United future on the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast: "It's difficult. I think it's always important - and easy to forget because he is a number nine - that even in the [Marcelo] Bielsa era he had that one good season where he scored quite a lot of goals.

"But, his thing was never the goals. His thing was always the closing down, doing all the hard work. Whenever anyone else came into the team like [Eddie] Nketiah, the team didn't work as well because he wasn't doing all the stuff that Bamford was doing.

"That time in the Bielsa era we were always saying Bamford has additional value. I guess we can't have both things - we need to try and remember that.

"It's about, is there a team that he is just going to walk into and be the first-choice striker? I don't know."

BBC Radio Leeds commentator Adam Pope added: "How do Leeds look if Georginio Rutter gets injured? Bamford comes in like he's doing now, but he doesn't get the ball inside his own half, beat five players and drop his shoulder and start spinning round and changing things.

"I can't see Bamford doing the things that Rutter does - he's unique like that. That's how Leeds play and they are successful, so there is no way that Bamford is starting a game at the moment.

"It is crunch-time in his head as to where he thinks he is going to be if he wants to play regular football, because it isn't going to be at Leeds for the foreseeable."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Adonis Storr, The Roaring Peacock, external

"The most important thing is to create a togetherness and unity within this club," Daniel Farke said in his very first interview back in July.

When Crysencio Summerville wheeled away after scoring on Saturday against Middlesborough at Elland Road, he headed towards the substitutes' bench to dance with Wilfried Gnonto. It seemed like the whole squad joined them. It looked like unity.

"As a group, it feels different this year, like everyone is together," the Dutchman said after the game.

Twice in a week United have conceded early. Twice this squad has immediately responded - the first Leeds side to win consecutive games after conceding first since 2014.

Farke's impact is staggering. It is hard to believe that it was only five months ago that he inherited a club in chaos. Players were handing in transfer requests, some were refusing to play and it was reported Luis Sinisterra was threatening legal action.

Farke has completed his stated first goal of creating togetherness and Leeds new-found unity is bringing the best out of the whole squad.

After two difficult seasons, Farke's love revolution is healing Leeds United and the fans with it.

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Leeds United have been drawn to face Peterborough at The Weston Homes Stadium in the FA Cup third round.

The game will take place on the weekend of 6-7 January.

Read the full draw here

In the most recent episode of My Mate's A Footballer Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has been talking to comedian Joe Wilkinson about the strikers he watches clips of to influence his own game.

Listen to the episode of My Mate's A Footballer on BBC Sounds

Adam Pope, BBC Radio Leeds

"If I have to name one player who should be in the spotlight today, although he wasn't involved, I would go for Luke Ayling."

That's what Leeds United manager Daniel Farke told the media at Elland Road after the 3-1 victory over Swansea City which maintains the Whites' third-placed position in the Championship.

It has become a trait of Farke to mention in despatches those unsung heroes who help foster the growing spirit around the club, which had waned since the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa almost two years ago. But never has Farke been so effusive about the contribution of one individual who was not part of his matchday squad.

Ayling aka 'Bill' is in his eighth year at Elland Road and after a one-year extension it seems set to be his last.

After 267 appearances and eleven goals he was missing against the Swans and not through injury.

"To leave him for first time out of the squad, and knowing what it means to him to be involved in game day, is probably one of the most difficult decisions I've made in this job," lamented Farke.

"I pretty rarely talk about something like this but in terms of football character and team-mate character, Luke Ayling is second to none and probably the best player in these terms I've ever worked with. I'm really careful with such a compliment."

Ayling, who scored an iconic volley against Huddersfield Town in the final game before lockdown, is one of the most popular figures at the club.

Farke continued: "He is the kid who brings the spirit and the identity into the dressing room. He brings the heart and soul into my side, he makes sure we don't drop the standards in training. He makes sure that everyone is really on it in training - disciplined, focused - working hard each and every day.

"Even before the game giving everyone a boost, a hug and firing everyone up. What a character this is, to be personally disappointed but then to sacrifice yourself for the team.

"He even gave me a hug and I was honoured...- even though he probably wanted to kill me after this decision. What a character."

This season does feel like a changing of the guard as the remnants responsible for re-establishing United in the top flight before relegation back to the Championship are no longer front and centre stage.

"If we are come next May in a good position and we can speak about a successful season, then its not the players who are in the spotlight or perhaps the new manager or coaching staff," added Farke. "It's the guys like Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper or Stuart Dallas who bring this into the club and who are the real Leeds legends."

United are on a splendid run at present with six home wins in a row and 13 points from a possible 15. Farke could not be clearer in the role Ayling has has to play as part of the supporting cast, adding: "No one should underestimate his impact.

"Without Luke Ayling such a performance would not be possible because he makes sure that in the last five days everybody is on it. He makes sure Djed Spence has to work really, really hard to be allowed to be in the squad ahead of him. He makes sure Archie Gray returned a top class performance today to defend everything."

When managers talk about needing good characters in the dressing room they mean the Aylings of this world who is still 'Bill' after all these years.

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Leeds manager Daniel Farke has praised his squad after their enthralling 3-1 win over Swansea.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, Farke said: "I have to give many compliments to my lads because the start was ridiculous. We went to this game and after 1 minute we took the lead.

"You think 'OK happy days' and then 30 seconds later the goal was disallowed and we conceded out of nothing. Swansea are a really good footballing side and they can cause problems especially when they’re confident, they’re good on the counter-attack.

"I thought in this moment that it could be a really long day at the office, but I have to give compliments to my lads. Although it was a difficult and complicated game in the first half, we didn’t lose our nerve, we were spot on and didn’t give any chances away.

"They caused us some problems with their possession and pressing, but nevertheless we were able to turn the game around, we had fantastic goals and great chances.

"The second half was more impressive because we spoke about a few details in our pressing that we wanted to change to get more control over the game and that’s what we did with many winnings of the ball.

"The only thing I could criticise is our efficiency because I looked at our xG and we had seven or eight more chances than Swansea did. All in all it was a mature performance and a well-deserved win."

Listen to the latest episode of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet here