Jesse Marsch had a smile on his face as he acknowledged the home support following Leeds United’s 0-0 draw with Brentford on Sunday afternoon. The expression was a clear indication about what he thought of his side’s display against the Bees and afterwards he spoke of the progress he and many others saw.
It was a frustrating result as the Whites prolonged their winless run in the Premier League to six games and failed to make the most of the opportunity to move three points clear of the drop zone. But, there were definitely signs in the performance to suggest Leeds are capable of turning their form around and picking up a few crucial wins over the coming weeks as the table comes into focus.
Leeds have reached the halfway stage of their campaign, with 19 games played and 19 to play, and that means the business end of the season isn’t far away. As such, Marsch will know the emphasis simply must be on results if United are to avoid taking part in another gruelling and demanding battle against the drop.
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Every game matters and chances to pick up points, particularly against those residing at the foot of the table, cannot be overlooked if they are to prevent time from working against them. February, then, looks absolutely monumental both in terms of United’s campaign and Marsch’s standing.
Of course, the Whites will play either Accrington Stanley or Boreham Wood in the FA Cup next up, but they return to league action on February 5 with a trip to Nottingham Forest scheduled. That clash in the East Midlands kickstarts a run of five February games that Leeds must look to take points in, with two matches against bitter rivals Manchester United to play before they face the current bottom two, Everton and Southampton.
It’s a run that has its challenges, that is for certain, but Leeds can’t afford to get to March having let yet more games and chances to pick up points pass them by, particularly given the tough run-in that awaits in April and May. The clash at the City Ground shouldn’t be seen as anything other than winnable.
Forest have picked up most of their points so far at home, recording four wins and three draws there, and their form since the World Cup break has been enough to see them pull away from danger for the time being. A defeat to Steve Cooper’s side would only serve to pile the pressure on moving forward with a record of two wins in 17 games considered to be relegation form by anyone’s standards.
A result, though, would send Leeds to Old Trafford on February 8 with heaps of confidence, if Leeds’ fourth round Cup clash doesn’t require a replay, that is. The Red Devils may have started the season poorly, but Erik ten Hag has manage to get a tune out of his expensively-assembled squad of late and two games in a row against them appears to be daunting prospect.
Leeds, though, have nothing to fear against the Champions League chasers, given how they have performed against such teams throughout the entire campaign. Chelsea and Liverpool have been beaten, Newcastle were held to a goalless draw and Arsenal were extremely fortunate to leave Elland Road with a result to show for their efforts.
Even Tottenham shipped three goals against the Whites before eventually fighting back to take the points late on. Sure, Man United will be strong favourites for both games, but the phrase ‘free hit’ shouldn’t apply in the second half of the season and while Leeds will look to ruffle feathers across the Pennines, they should be targeting points, too.
The narrative going into games against Everton and Southampton is obviously dependant on what happens between now and then, but given the current league positions of the pair, it’s not unreasonable to say six points must be the goal from those two matches. February might not be enough to break Leeds’ season, given the amount of matches remaining, but it could make it by giving them the platform needed to kick on and pull themselves towards the security of midtable.
Questions simply must be asked if they fail to make the most of the month’s schedule.
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