Burnley boss Scott Parker will be under no illusions ahead of Monday night’s clash of the Championship titans with Leeds United at Turf Moor.
This is a very different Leeds United team to the one which suffered the most frustrating of 1-0 home defeats by a Clarets outfit who crossed the Pennines and snatched all three points through pure resilience and no shortage of good fortune.
Not exactly different in terms of personnel. But certainly in terms of performance.
Jayden Bogle endured a torrid afternoon against Luca Koleosho back in September. Four months on, to quote Daniel Farke, Bogle has been Leeds’ stand-out performer during a ten-game unbeaten run in league action.
It was Manor Solomon, meanwhile, who slipped at the crucial moment in the build up to Burnley’s Elland Road winner.
There is an argument to be made – Solomon scored again as Leeds beat Norwich City on Wednesday night while assisting Dan James’ clincher – that the Tottenham Hotspur loanee is the most influential wideman in the whole of the division on current form.
Scott Parker praises ‘exciting’ Leeds United ahead of Burnley clash
Leeds will need Solomon, James and co to be at their very best in Lancashire.
Burnley have conceded a staggering nine goals in 28 Championship matches. On the other side of the coin, Leeds allow the fewest shots on target of any team in England’s second tier.
A goalless draw it is, then? Possibly, though Parker is looking forward to seeing how Burnley’s oft-unbreachable backline cope with the speed of James, the silk of Solomon, the instincts of Joel Piroe, and the off-the-bench explosiveness of Largie Ramazani and Willy Gnonto.
“A big game for us. A big game for both teams, really,” Parker said during his press conference on Friday afternoon. We understand the magnitude of this game, two teams that have done very, very well up to this point in the year.
“We are playing against a really exciting team in terms of the way they play. A team that has been together now for probably 18 months with not massive, massive changes, albeit they’ve of course sold some players.”
Parker says Daniel Farke’s Leeds are a side with ‘real quality’
Leeds have bounced back impressively despite losing last season’s top scorer Crysencio Summerville and their creator-in-chief Georginio Rutter to West Ham and Brighton respectively. Archie Gray and Glen Kamara departed, meaning Farke lost four of his first-choice best XI from 2023/24.
Solomon has taken up the mantle from Summerville down the left, however, while Brenden Aaronson has inherited number ten duties from Rutter.
In the centre of the park, meanwhile, Dan James feels that Joe Rothwell deserves far more credit than the AFC Bournemouth loanee is used to getting.
And, while Summerville, Rutter and Gray were obviously huge losses, Leeds did succeed in retaining the services of Gnonto, Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu. Three players who would stroll onto most Championship team sheets while barely breaking sweat.
“They have got some real quality in their team, the players they have kept as well,” adds former England international Parker. “We experienced that when we played against them earlier on in the season.
“Look, I’m sure Daniel will be saying the same about us. He understands the problems we can cause them. It’s got the ingredients to be a very good game. I think it will be decided on the fine margins.
“The team that can get the better of them will come out on top.”
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