Leeds United: Previewing Leeds’ opening fixtures

National World - LocalTV

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00:00Well, yep, as I say, we're into the summer now, the transfer window is going, so you've made your summary there.

00:06But, despite that, there's only just over a month until it all gets going once again.

00:13Yep.

00:14That feels a little bit daunting, to be honest, but it is.

00:17Leeds, of course, their fixtures were confirmed very recently.

00:22They start with Portsmouth at home at Elland Road.

00:27As I say, we won't go too far into the further months to come, probably just look at the first couple of ones.

00:33But, let's be honest, it's a good chance to get the crowd back on side after what was a heartbreaking day at Wembley

00:39and put in a good performance and hopefully set up the rest of the season and play as they mean to go on.

00:45I think so, yeah.

00:46The first thing to say is I better get used to the Saturday 12.30 games.

00:49I think three of the first six I think it is a Saturday 12.30.

00:52That's actually probably quite an interesting point, really, because Daniel Farker did talk about it a few times last season

00:58about how they weren't the best 12.30 kick-offs because they had to change the routines.

01:02They started another of the meals early and this, that and the other.

01:06That could be a factor, to be honest.

01:08It might well be.

01:10But, in terms of the fixtures, yeah, I don't know.

01:12I think when they first came out, I looked at it and thought that's a decent start for Leeds.

01:15I think it is because you're at home and you want to start off at home, obviously, and that's that.

01:20Obviously, against a newly promoted side in Portsmouth.

01:22But the first thing you'd say with that is, well, newly promoted side didn't stop Ipswich, did it?

01:27That's the first thing to say.

01:28They'll be coming up with momentum as well, Portsmouth.

01:31Obviously, fans will be right up for it.

01:33That in itself will be a very hard game, I think, at Ellen Road.

01:37But you would obviously fancy Leeds.

01:38I think there are about one to three favourites for it already as prices are already there for it.

01:42But that might be going a bit over the top in terms of just how strong of favourites they are.

01:46But, yeah, that's the first one.

01:47Then, obviously, you've got the Carabao Cup game.

01:48That's hard.

01:49Obviously, Middlesbrough are at home.

01:50I mean, apart from being drawn away, that's about as hard as you could have got, really, in terms of the teams in it.

01:56Obviously, with the Prem teams not coming in it yet and stuff and it obviously being regionalised.

02:00That's difficult.

02:01And then, obviously, West Brom away the following Saturday.

02:03I mean, that goes without saying.

02:05That's hard.

02:06They made the playoffs, obviously, Carlos Corbijn.

02:07And, again, that's a Saturday 12.30.

02:09Then you've got Sheffield Wednesday away on a Friday night again.

02:12So, I mean, Yorkshire derby.

02:14I expect they'll be a bit better this season.

02:16Obviously, after finishing the season strongly.

02:18And then, Hull at home as the fifth game.

02:20So, actually, when you go through it game by game, it's quite a hard start.

02:24It is quite hard.

02:26Yeah, I think so.

02:27I think it is, yeah.

02:28And it makes really getting a victory in that first game even more important because, you know,

02:33I think, generally speaking, everybody kind of agreed that Daniel Farke needed to be given another crack of the whip, you know,

02:38and have a proper start at it without a mess of a summer.

02:41And I think that's probably right.

02:42I think, you know, who else are you going to go and get, really?

02:44And stuff, you know, players, you know, seem to play for him and stuff.

02:48And I just definitely think that's the right call.

02:50But I don't mean any managers under pressure with a bad start.

02:53But especially after last season, if Leeds don't start well, then obviously, like, you know, the pressure will amount.

02:58So, they do need to hit the ground running.

03:00And I think three points in that first game is obviously very, very important.

03:03Even then, you've got five games or four league games.

03:06Then you've got the international break.

03:07And then the first game back is Burnley.

03:10And obviously, Leeds and Burnley are the top two in the market for it.

03:14So, as a first six, including the Cup game, it is a pretty, pretty hard start.

03:19But then that's the Championship.

03:21It kind of feels like the opening games, there's a bit of everything in there.

03:25And it's almost like a microcosm of the Championship.

03:28You know, you've got a potential promotion, well, a couple of potential promotion contenders in there.

03:34You've got Yorkshire derby in there.

03:36You've got a newly promoted side in there.

03:37You've got a bit of everything, really.

03:38And that just kind of sums it up in those first games.

03:40I think other standouts were Boxing Day.

03:42I think everybody had a bit of a groan at that, thinking what we're going to get on Boxing Day.

03:46And they got Stoke away.

03:47So, that'll be fun going down there on Boxing Day.

03:50But not the most glamorous fixture for that.

03:54But, you know, they've got to go and do it on a Boxing Day at Stoke and now.

03:57So, Blackburn at home on New Year's Day looks like a more palatable fixture.

04:02But then that said, we saw what Blackburn did against Leeds last season.

04:05And then the end doesn't look too bad.

04:07You've got two home games, Stoke and Bristol City, followed by Plymouth away.

04:10Obviously, Wayne Rooney's Plymouth.

04:12So, you know, we'll see how it goes.

04:14But where we're at, we'll come to that stage of the season.

04:17So, promoted on the south coast down there at Plymouth would be quite something.

04:21But let's not go that far yet.

04:23It's an awful long way to go, 46 games, obviously.

04:25But, yeah, as I say, at first glance, I thought it's a decent start.

04:28But the more you go through those game by game, it is quite a tricky one, really.

04:31I think, you know, sort of, yeah, they need a good start.

04:34It won't be that easy to get one.

04:35But they are in a better position than last summer.

04:37You know, that's the bottom line.

04:38There's still going to be ins and outs and a lot of movement this summer.

04:41Obviously, we've already had Archie.

04:42We'll wait and see what happens, whether they can keep Somerville,

04:45whether someone like that needs replacing.

04:47But, I mean, compared to last summer, you know, it was just ridiculous.

04:50People just leaving left, right and centre on loan clauses.

04:53So, they should certainly be more prepared than they were for the start of last season.

04:57So, yeah, bumpy at home.

04:5912.30, get used to them because, well, it isn't the last one, is it?

05:02And I think there'll be plenty more to follow.

05:04One thing that won't change is the amount of times that Leeds are on TV.

05:07You know, the top of the bill on that agenda,

05:10albeit you can see more games next season because of the new broadcasting rights.

05:14But, yeah, get used to Saturday 12.30.

05:16I think there'll be a few of them.

05:18Yes, as you pointed out there, Lee, perhaps more of a challenging start

05:22than perhaps some people might have realised for Leeds

05:24at the beginning of the Championship campaign.

05:26But you've got to play every team twice.

05:30Yeah, this is it, yeah.

05:32You can make the argument that, yes, OK, it is a challenging start,

05:35so they might not get off to the best of starts.

05:37But I'm sure that after that, even if they didn't,

05:39then they'll have easier runs where they'll have time to make up

05:43any points that they perhaps lost or any...

05:45Yeah, momentum feels like a key thing as well, though, for Leeds, obviously,

05:49because the last... I mean, obviously, it goes without saying that,

05:52you know, the season finished about as flat as it could

05:54because they got beat in the playoff final, which is obviously heartbreaking.

05:57But even before that, even before the playoff final,

05:59obviously, they're really limped towards the finish line.

06:01You know, obviously, the playoff semi-final first leg-thumping victory

06:06seemed to have turned that around,

06:07sorry, second leg seemed to have turned that around a little bit.

06:09But, you know, if you look at the results as a whole,

06:11you know, they didn't finish the season strongly at all.

06:14And, you know, all it would take is a couple of bad results.

06:16And then it's a bit like, you know, you're sort of challenging yourself

06:18to pick back up again, really.

06:20So, like, I know no games must win at that stage of the season,

06:23but that first game against Portsmouth just feels like massive

06:26in terms of, like, providing the right launch pad for them

06:28to sort of, like, go onwards.

06:29Because West Brom away, the second one, will definitely be difficult.

06:32They're all difficult in the Championship, aren't they?

06:34But, yeah, we'll soon be here and, you know,

06:37we shall see something new.

06:38Leeds, Portsmouth, Elland Road.

06:40Yes, very much so.

06:41Well, I think that's just about all we have time for in this episode.

06:44Obviously, we're back now.

06:46We're back into pre-season,

06:48so we'll be back to regular episodes of the

06:50Marching On Together, Leeds United podcast.

06:53But until the next episode, Lee, thank you very much as always.

06:55Cheers, Daniel, thank you.

06:56We will see you very soon.

06:57And until then, we'll see you next time.

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