OXFORD United are gearing up for their first game since the surprise sacking of Des Buckingham, as they make the trip to Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.
There arguably couldn’t be a tougher match for the U’s in Sky Bet Championship, with the Whites second in the table, three points shy of leaders Sheffield United, and boasting the best home record in the division.
Daniel Farke’s side have won nine and drawn one of their 11 league games at Elland Road, with the sole defeat coming in a 1-0 loss against Burnley back in mid-September.
Since then though, the Whites have won all eight of their matches on home soil, including against the Blades, and play-off contenders Watford and Middlesbrough.
We caught up with Joe Donnohue of the Yorkshire Evening Post to get the lowdown on the Whites.
READ ALSO: What will new U’s head coach need to resolve once appointed?
How would you assess the opening few months of the season for Leeds United?
Leeds have been pretty dominant at Elland Road during the first few months of the season, but haven’t looked the same team on the road.
They’re tracking at a similar rate to what they managed last season, which given the calibre of players lost over the summer is a good sign.
What’s the playing style and likeliest formation under Daniel Farke?
Farke is a ball-dominant manager. He wants to control possession and key areas of the pitch, keep teams pinned in, particularly at home.
Leeds will set up in a 4-2-3-1 but in possession, they’re a team who operate as a 3-1-6 with one of the central midfielders dropping between the centre halves and the attacking full backs joining the forward line with wide attackers tucking in slightly.
Who are the key players to watch?
Willy Gnonto is probably the key man at Leeds. He has game-changing and game-winning individual ability, although recently Dan James with his electric pace and, increasingly, end product has been the standout player.
In midfield, Ethan Ampadu is vitally important to how the team functions, but whilst he’s been out injured, summer signing Ao Tanaka has proven really, really tidy in possession, evades pressure well and won the in-house player of the month during October and November.
What are the expectations at Leeds this season?
No beating around the bush, the expectation is automatic promotion. The play-offs have never been kind to Leeds, so fans want to be well clear of them by April and May.