Leeds United v Stoke City: Proud moment versus Potters has potential to be the best yet for resilient and focused Leeds — YEP 21/4/25
By Leon Wobschall
L IN the Leeds United lexicon, there is a spoiler alert when
reference is made to Stoke City - certainly for those of a certain vintage.
Back in the peak of the Super Leeds era, in that supreme
1973-74 campaign when United produced one of the most masterful top-flight
seasons ever, Tony Waddington's Potters became the first side to halt the Leeds
juggernaut.
After a record 29-match unbeaten sequence in Division One,
Don Revie’s stellar line-up, the talk of the land and not only Yorkshire, lost
for the first time in the league in that campaign in the Potteries, a 3-2
reverse in February 1974.
Stoke’s former Victoria Ground home was also the venue where
Leeds crashed 7-2 and 6-2 in infamous Division Two losses in the mid-eighties
when the club were going nowhere in particular.
Today’s Leeds will be going somewhere if events go in their
direction today. Namely the Premier League.
Speaking of Stoke, the Marcelo Bielsa story began in
beguiling fashion against them at Elland Road in August 2018 and so a love
affair commenced.
There has not been so much sunshine and roses for Daniel
Farke, it is fair to say.
But should Leeds win and Sheffield United fail to in the
late kick-off at Burnley, then he will secure his own spot in club history.
Should the Blades delay Leeds’ promotion, then the
opportunity could present itself at Elland Road in seven days’ time.
Farke being Farke, as is his wont, has his ducks in a row
and is saying the right things. More pertinently, his Leeds side are doing the
right things, as evidenced in Oxford on Good Friday.
Focus is the key word for Farke, although he would not be
human if he did not think, briefly, about the context of what being promoted at
Elland Road would constitute, if it happened to be now or early next week.
He said: "Many key players have to play every second at
the moment and we definitely need a pretty special atmosphere.
"And everyone has to be in the best shape, even the
guys who sell the tickets or the drinks; the stewards in the ground.
"They all have to be there; in the best shape and full
voice, and because we have the chance to create something really, really
special.
"The first time that we can get promotion to the
Premier League with our supporters in the last 35 years. The only promotion
under the great Marcelo was unsettling without supporters (due to Covid
restrictions).
"So we have the chance to create something really,
really special. That we need to win more points and our supporters have to help
carry us a little bit."
Leeds face a Stoke side on the cusp of safety after
relieving wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City, which have seen them
reach what is genuinely perceived to be the safety line of 50 points.
It would take something pretty astonishing for the Potters
to drop into the bottom three.
But any notion that Stoke’s intensity could ease down a
notch is quickly banished by Farke, who knows the Championship and this time of
season better than most. He also knows full well that teams in their position
amid such an arena might just fancy enjoying themselves for the afternoon to
prey on an Elland Road angst.
Farke continued: "There will be a Stoke side who comes
with freedom and plays with freedom and also with confidence.
"Stoke have a very experienced manager at this level. I
expect them to be a really, really difficult opponent for us.
"We have to be very respectful and to make sure that we
are all on it again in order to give ourselves a chance to win some proper
points and all the other games will be difficult as well.
"So for that, we have to focus right now.”
Ah, back to that word focus again.
Leeds have shown a fair bit of that of late, keeping their
heads while others wavered, despite there being plenty of noise after events
against the likes of Portsmouth, QPR and Swansea City.
Farke’s side may be the top-scorers in the division, with 83
goals, by a country mile. The next closest are Norwich City (66) and
Middlesbrough (63).
In the final analysis, a concession of just two goals in
their last four games, at a time when many Leeds followers were starting to get
jumpy, carries plenty of significance in the context of the season, at a time
in proceedings when many games are low scoring.
The way in which Leeds coped with Oxford’s aerial artillery,
Joe Rodon in particular, was testament to their backbone on a night when he won
countless duels in the air.
It smacked of a side ripe for promotion and one who can win
in different ways, circumstances and weathers. But it’s not over quite yet.
"You have to become relentless and this is what we are
at the moment, but we have to keep going,” observed Farfke.
"It's pretty sure that all our competitors are strong.
They also show resilience."