Leeds United’s position at the summit of the Championship table is made all the more impressive when you add the context of last summer’s transfer window.
In the space of only a few weeks, Daniel Farke lost the reigning Championship Player of the Year – Crysencio Summerville – to West Ham. Chief creator Georginio Rutter took his dancing shoes to Brighton and Hove Albion, while teen sensation Archie Gray swapped Elland Road for Tottenham Hotspur.
For Leeds United to lose three players of such talent, of such importance, and bounce back stronger is quite the feat.
The Yorkshire giants are actually ahead of where they were at this stage last season. Leeds cruised past Frank Lampard’s Coventry City in their most recent league outing, their tally of 66 points five more than they had accrued after 31 games during the 2023/24 season.
Leeds now travel to Vicarage Road to face Watford on Tuesday night.
If Farke’s position is rock solid, then Tom Cleverley’s is anything but. The under-pressure Watford boss, while praising the job his opposite number has done this season, hopes that The Hornets can offer a sting in the tail like their previous meeting with Leeds back in October.
Watford boss hails Daniel Farke as Leeds United bounce back from three big departures
“It’s going to be a really tough test for us,” Cleverley says in his pre-match press conference. “But I think Daniel would say that the game at Elland Road is probably the best opposition they’ve faced this season.”
Leeds cruised into a 2-0 lead inside seven minutes via Brenden Aaronson and Largie Ramazani, the duo profiting from some more than questionable Daniel Bachmann goalkeeping. Kwadwo Baah halved the deficit just after half-time, however, and a game that was supposed to be a cruise ended up seeing Leeds creep towards the three points.
“I expect [Tuesday’s clash] to be another massive test,” former England, Everton and Manchester United midfielder Cleverley adds.
“You have to take your hat off to Daniel. What he lost in the summer was three massively talented players so the way they’ve dealt with that and found consistency, they’re the most dominating team in the league.
“Their league position isn’t clear at the top but you’d expect the way they dominate games [that] they would be top by 10 points.
“The other three have kept up with them so there’s still a lot to play for but they’re the most dominating. They suffocate you, they control possession and they have a high press, man v man press sometimes.
“I’m sure Daniel will be expecting a tough test because we’ve shown a good side of ourselves twice [against Leeds] in ten months.”
Joe Rodon and Dan James back but ‘bad news’ about Max Wober
Farke confirms that Joe Rodon and Dan James should return to face Watford. The Welsh duo missed Saturday’s shock 2-0 home defeat to Millwall in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The German was less positive about Patrick Bamford or Max Wober, however. The latter must undergo surgery and will be out of action until after the international break in March.
“Bad news with Max Wober. [He is suffering with] an ongoing knee problem,” Farke explains. He’s suffered another setback and will need another surgery. We will get this done as quick as possible and will be out till the next international break.
“We will see what happens with Patrick but it depends how the next days develop. He won’t return for the Watford game.”
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