Eighth in the Championship’s away form league table, compared to top of the one on home soil, is quite the disparity.
Leeds United’s inability to reflect their dominance at Elland Road on their travels is concerning many, despite the overall combination – 28 + 14 = 42 – providing a two points per game average which should guarantee promotion.
The late equaliser at Preston North End on Saturday, welcome as it was, had been preceded by a swell of disgruntlement from the large away following in the Bill Shankly kop. Another groundhog was having its day, just like at Millwall and Blackburn Rovers.
Leeds have built up such a reputation at home that teams genuinely fear coming to LS11. Nine victories and 25 goals from 11 fixtures has seen Daniel Farke’s side, for the most part, patiently dismantle teams who often arrive bent out of their normal shape to try and absorb the blows coming their way. A mild beating is better than a total battering, I suppose, before stepping back onto the bus home.
So why is there not the same fear factor when the big boy of the division rocks up in someone else’s back yard? They have won eight straight home games but it is now just one win from the past seven matches on the road.
“We need to find a better excitement level for this kind of game,” says Farke.
“Obviously Elland Road is rocking and buzzing from the start, the players are in more excitement mode. We need to make this happen in away games. It is important we learn as we’re not good enough to cruise easily through this league.”
There are dozens of cures for travel sickness apparently. They include pills, ginger, breathing techniques, distracting yourself by listening to music or concentrating on a fixed point… promotion possibly?
Maybe a tin of fruit-flavoured boiled sweets coated in sugar stashed in the glove compartment is the answer. That was my mum’s remedy for queasiness when feeling a bit dodgy in the back seat.
Someone should mention it to the club’s coach driver Brian ahead of the next trip back from Deepdale or wherever… and by the way, Farke definitely knows his name.
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