Marching On Together

Saturday 23rd December 12:30pm | Elland Road


Leeds have an opportunity to close the gap between themselves and Ipswich Town to seven points, when the Tractor boys roll up at Elland Road on Saturday lunchtime.

Both Leicester City and Ipswich Town are on target to smash Reading's record breaking 105 point total, achieved eighteen years ago, after extraordinary starts to their seasons, which have seen them storm clear of their Championship rivals with 55 and 52 points respectively from just 22 games.

Leeds have not been firing on all cylinders lately, but remain the only club to have have beaten the duo this season (with both victories coming away from home). They will need to up their game, if they are to overcome a free scoring Ipswich side that are averaging over two goals a game (47 goals in 22 games).



Leeds will be without the services of Sam Byram (hamstring), Stuart Dallas (leg) and Jamie Shackleton (glute), but could welcome back Junior Firpo after recovering from his troublesome hamstring injury. The 27yo has returned to training this week, and is in contention to start at the weekend.

This could allow Daniel Farke to finally rest Archie Gray, and play Djed Spence in his preferred left wing-back role. Whilst the 17yo has done a sterling job this season, he has already amassed over 2200 minutes of game time, and must be due a break.

Ian Povada is back in contention after returning from International duty with Columbia. The 23yo started twice from the South American outfit in wins against Venezuela and Mexico.

The Tractor boys will be without long term absentee Lee Evans. The Welsh midfielder is recovering from a knee injury. Apart from that, Manager Kieran McKenna has a full squad to pick from.

Nothing but a win is acceptable.

The run of lacklustre performances needs to end and Farke needs to earn his money.

Ipswich are a team that concede goals but they create a lot of chances.

We need to be better than we have been for a while and come up with an alternative to pass it to Summerville/Rutter because if Ipswich have been paying attention it could be a long frustrating game.

Not acceptable to who?

Kennyb41 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:53 am Not acceptable to who?

For a team expected to be fighting for top 2

Cjay wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 1:20 am For a team expected to be fighting for top 2

So if we draw or God forbid lose is that unacceptable ?

Expected ? Who are you writing for ?

McKenna is right in saying that there’s more pressure on Leeds than Ipswich going into this one.

After it, we’ll be 7,10 or 13 points adrift of them, a big spread - and a win either way may have a significant psychological effect on either or both sets of players for the rest of the season.

Time will tell.

Big game for Ipswich too. A win would help establish the managers credentials too..



Do they try to stick to first principles and risk a game of basketball or follow the well tried path of frustrate Leeds attack and the Elland Rd crowd and create some anxiety?

I'm off on my hols tomorrow so hope to get a wee bit of connectivity but won't see t' game.


Worst case scenario is we lose, and their manager and best players move in the January window
.

Meslier will be magestic in goal
Gray will. be gigantic
Rodon will be his robust self
Strujk will be stupendous
Spence will be superb
Ethan will be seething in the midfield
Glenn will be an accurate passing fiend
Cry will make the opponent weep
Dan will become a firm favourite of the Fans
Joel will have things to sing about this noel
Rutter will make other teams stutter.

Hello Leeds people.

I think all Ipswich fans would bite your hand off for a draw tomorrow. I fear we may play into your hands a bit as we will always attack, even away which seems to suit you very well. Looks like the only teams who've had any joy against you were Stoke/Sunderland who parked the bus and scored on the breakaway? (bit like West Brom did to us in a slightly more proactive way recently).

We've found an absolute gem in Kieran McKenna, believe it or not in two years he's never lost two (league) games in a row, which speaks volumes for his preparation. Nearly all opposition fans seem to think we're pretty average after we've beaten them, I'll take being average if we're still ten points clear of 3rd in May..

itfc1963 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 10:27 am Hello Leeds people.

I think all Ipswich fans would bite your hand off for a draw tomorrow. I fear we may play into your hands a bit as we will always attack, even away which seems to suit you very well. Looks like the only teams who've had any joy against you were Stoke/Sunderland who parked the bus and scored on the breakaway? (bit like West Brom did to us in a slightly more proactive way recently).

We've found an absolute gem in Kieran McKenna, believe it or not in two years he's never lost two (league) games in a row, which speaks volumes for his preparation. Nearly all opposition fans seem to think we're pretty average after we've beaten them, I'll take being average if we're still ten points clear of 3rd in May..

Hello farmer people
It should be a cracking game, 2 attack minded teams, McKenna has set you up nicely, you'll be there or there abouts come May and on merit, can't knock that.
Both teams are capable of scoring and conceding, I'm expecting it will be ding dong to the final whistle, hopefully United edge it.

itfc1963 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 10:27 am Hello Leeds people.

I think all Ipswich fans would bite your hand off for a draw tomorrow. I fear we may play into your hands a bit as we will always attack, even away which seems to suit you very well. Looks like the only teams who've had any joy against you were Stoke/Sunderland who parked the bus and scored on the breakaway? (bit like West Brom did to us in a slightly more proactive way recently).

We've found an absolute gem in Kieran McKenna, believe it or not in two years he's never lost two (league) games in a row, which speaks volumes for his preparation. Nearly all opposition fans seem to think we're pretty average after we've beaten them, I'll take being average if we're still ten points clear of 3rd in May..

Love the way Ipswich play with no fear & I can’t see tomorrow being any different. I’ve been saying that the Christmas and January fixtures are going to be crucial for us and we need to start piling pressure on the top 2 beginning tomorrow. I think if Ipswich lose a couple of games their confidence could plummet and start looking over their shoulder but we need more consistency to keep the pressure on. Leeds 2-1

Seems lunacy is affecting all fans, these boyz that drive tractors are also desperate with worry that they concede goals, seems they also want it all.

Can you Adam n Eve it, they're scoring, they're in automatic, they're creating, they're attacking.

But God damn it, they're open to conceding.

Call the defence police i say.

https://tractor-boys.com/forum/viewtopi ... 0efe6d2bee

Cjay wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 1:20 am For a team expected to be fighting for top 2

I don't expect anything Cjay. I just support my football team to do their best

It's going to be nerve-wracking afternoon

Need to get into my head, "what will be, will be"

whiteswan wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 11:51 am I don't expect anything Cjay. I just support my football team to do their best

Well said Swannie Some people just love to see us struggle so they can have a go at the manager and players.

Cjay wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 11:29 pm Nothing but a win is acceptable.

The run of lacklustre performances needs to end and Farke needs to earn his money.

The reason we are 3rd is down to Farke gelling a team together and getting the best out of his best players. The reason we're not top 2 is that Farke relies too much on his best players.

Farke's managerial record at Norwich was made to look so much better as they exceeded xg by loads at both ends of the pitch. The reason Farke is sh*t is because we are underperforming against xg at both ends of the pitch.

All about how you choose to use facts to fit an argument.

itfc1963 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 10:27 am Hello Leeds people.

I think all Ipswich fans would bite your hand off for a draw tomorrow. I fear we may play into your hands a bit as we will always attack, even away which seems to suit you very well. Looks like the only teams who've had any joy against you were Stoke/Sunderland who parked the bus and scored on the breakaway? (bit like West Brom did to us in a slightly more proactive way recently).

We've found an absolute gem in Kieran McKenna, believe it or not in two years he's never lost two (league) games in a row, which speaks volumes for his preparation. Nearly all opposition fans seem to think we're pretty average after we've beaten them, I'll take being average if we're still ten points clear of 3rd in May..

Do you live in Ipswich? I'm a Leeds supporter living in Ipswich.....

Ipswich have scored & conceded almost exactly half what their current tally’s are at home in their away games. 32/19 @ home. 15/9 away. Maybe we shouldn’t necessarily expect a high scoring game.

1964white wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 11:55 am It's going to be nerve-wracking afternoon

Need to get into my head, "what will be, will be"

You turning into Doris Day ?