Leeds must aim for “routine” win with visit of Owls

Daniel Wales previews Leeds United vs. Sheffield Wednesday.

Transcript

00:00Well, for Leeds this weekend, they return to action at Elland Road in the Championship,

00:07having just got over the line against Harrogate Town in the FA Cup there last weekend. This

00:12time they welcome another fellow Yorkshire team in Sheffield Wednesday. Now this certainly

00:17won't be an easy test for Sheffield Wednesday, they sat in 10th place, only about four points

00:22off the play-off places, so having a decent enough season at Hillsborough. For Leeds though,

00:28they just need to keep on winning, let's be honest. Sat top of the Championship table,

00:32they can't afford to let the likes of Burnley, Sheffield United, Sunland get too close to

00:37them, because of course Burnley and Sheffield United are only sat one point below them,

00:41Sunland a further two behind there on 50 points. And there is a bit of a gap to the likes of

00:46Blackburn and Middlesbrough, so they're very confident Leeds and all the other teams I've

00:49just mentioned of a play-off place at least, but realistically for a squad of Leeds' quality

00:55and talent, the automatic promotion places are where they need to be come the end of

01:00the season. And while Sheffield Wednesday are a good side, no doubt about it for the

01:04Championship, it's a home game in which Leeds just have to be routinely winning, certainly.

01:11Obviously we are in the midst of the January transfer window, there's been gossip around

01:13Patrick Bamford at the moment at Leeds. He's not had the best of seasons I think it's fair

01:19to say, quite up and down with injuries, and so the Leeds perhaps look to move him on.

01:24This month, regardless of that though, that's by the by for the moment, because football

01:29has to take precedence for Leeds as they face Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road. I'm sure

01:36Daniel Farker will come into this game knowing that Leeds are certainly capable of winning,

01:40but you just know that at the moment Leeds have the odd little mistake in them, I think

01:44that was evident against Hull City. A 3-1 lead they had with only about 15 minutes to

01:49go. Blown, thrown away, two points dropped and of course that was put down to Elan Mellier

01:54with a couple of howlers in that game. Colin Darlow of course did come in against Harrogate

01:59Town and did no harm for his reputation. Obviously yes against a League 2 side, but certainly

02:06played well and is a goalkeeper with Premier League experience at Newcastle United. So

02:11Daniel Farker certainly has a decision to make in terms of who goes in goal and who

02:15plays between the sticks. Farker has backed Elan Mellier and certainly also backed him

02:22after his mistake in Blunder against Sunderland away earlier in the season, which also cost

02:27Leeds three points on that occasion. But you have to think though for Elan Mellier, yes

02:32he's a young goalkeeper still learning, but mistakes like the ones he has made this season

02:36are at times slightly unforgivable. So he will have to bounce back, will Mellier? Farker

02:42clearly believes in him and believes that he has the ability to do that, but you have

02:47to feel that he's possibly only one big howler away from being taken out of the team on a

02:52permanent basis. Leeds though obviously just have to go into this game and win.