Leeds United boast brilliant Championship record that nobody is talking iabout
Leeds United boast brilliant Championship record that nobody is talking about
Leeds United are top of the Championship table and many other key statistical charts – but they will be glad to be at the bottom of one.
The Whites have impressed in many areas, currently sitting as the division’s top scorers by some 16 goals and netting in all but one of their last 16 league matches. Consistency has been key to the club’s success this season, having not lost in the Championship since November.
The current 16-game unbeaten run eclipses last season’s streak of 15, showing marked progress under Daniel Farke. What has also been notable is the discipline of his squad.
Farke himself may have served a touchline ban against Sheffield United for three yellow cards in the dugout but none of his players have been sent off at all. And furthermore, only Swansea City and Plymouth Argyle have recorded fewer yellow cards, two less than United’s tally of 54.
However, both have had at least one player sent off this season, so actually place higher than Leeds in the Championship discipline rankings. United are one of six clubs not to have received a red card thus far.
Coventry City, Derby County, Stoke City, Oxford United and Hull City are also members of this group. But all have tallied more yellow cards than Leeds this campaign and so it means United sit bottom of the Championship discipline chart.
There have been times where United might have counted themselves fortunate not to have been branded a red, most recently in January when Ao Tanaka came in late on Norwich City’s Emiliano Marcondes while on a yellow.
Jayden Bogle also needs to avoid a caution in his next three games to prevent himself reaching 10 bookings by matchday 37, or else face a suspension. The right-back has already served a ban for picking up five yellow cards within the first 19 league games of the season – this coming after 12 games.
Meanwhile, on the opposite flank, Junior Firpo sits on eight cautions. He too served a one-game ban for five yellow cards in October.
Joe Rodon was a booking away from suspension earlier on in the season, having picked up four yellows in the first nine games.
However, he managed to surpass the 19-game cut-off mark for five cautions, which brought praise from his manager. There would be 17 games between his fourth and fifth bookings.
This is an example of the generally astute discipline of the team that has helped give Leeds the best chance of promotion. Aside from Firpo and Bogle, no other player has missed a match through suspension.
Comparatively, automatic promotion rivals Sheffield United, Burnley and Sunderland have all had at least two red cards this season, three in the case of the Black Cats. Sheffield United have amassed a whopping 78 yellow cards, 24 more than Leeds, in their 34 matches.
With such a small squad, absences hit Leeds hard, as has been the case with injuries this season. By staying disciplined, United have prevented the squad being slimmed further at crucial points of the season and seem to be reaping the rewards of their efforts.
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