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.

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