Points not position is Daniel Farke's mantra as 'young' 'new' and 'exciting' Leeds United head into 2025 in fine Championship shape — Yorkshire Post 31/12/24
By Leon Wobschall
HEADING into 2025, Leeds United are undeniably in a good
place.
As far as Daniel Farke is concerned, it is not the sight of
his side topping the Championship standings at the start of the new year that
carries the most significance, more the number of points that have been accrued
so far.
Sunday's 1-0 victory at Derby took Leeds past the 50-point
milestone for the season.
Ahead of their home game with Blackburn on New Year's Day,
United have 51 points from 24 matches - at an impressive average over two
points per game. It's the exact same number they registered from the same
amount of games in Marcelo Bielsa's first campaign at the club in 2018-19.
In the promotion season of 2019-20, United managed 48 points
from 24 matches. While Leeds' current total from that number of games is an
eye-catching six points better than the figure last year.
After a testing summer in the aftermath of a shattering
play-off final loss to Southampton in late May - with high-profile stars Archie
Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter all leaving - Farke is
understandably delighted with the response so far.
As ever, the German remains grounded and not particularly
interested in league positions yet either.
Farke, whose side moved two points clear of Sheffield United
after victory in the East Midlands, said: "It's not that important where
you are after 24 game days, but I'm happy for our supporters.
"They had difficult years on Premier League level,
fighting and suffering relegation. (Then) Ninety points last season but
heartbreak at Wembley.
"We had to rebuild again and lost many of our key
players, but to be there with this young, new, exciting group in such a good
position and to show such consistency in more or less all topics is amazing.
"That we're rewarded with top spot is great but more
important is the points tally. Fifty-one points is an amazing effort, credit to
everyone involved. But we need to keep going."
It was somewhat fitting that the player who has been
emblematic of United's renaissance in reborn attacking midfielder Brenden
Aaronson struck the solitary goal which moved Leeds to the summit.
The strike was a thing of beauty and the final act to a
glorious team move of the highest order, with Farke gushingly stating that he
would put the goal 'straight into his poetry album' afterwards.
On Aaronson, Farke continued: "I love this guy and I
was impressed with him. And I have to say also during the season so far after a
really difficult start to life at Leeds and also a difficult away year on loan.
"It's been a fantastic season so far and he's a great
finisher."
It was certainly a rewarding festive season for Leeds, with
three successive victories, without conceding so much as a goal in wins over
Derby, Stoke and Oxford coinciding with the return of influential club captain
Ethan Ampadu to the starting line-up.
The Welsh international, sidelined for just over two months
of 2024-25 after picking up a knee injury in late September, said: "I felt
quite good out there, but I know there's still a little bit of rust, so I'm
just trying to shake that off.”