Leeds United to be raging as ‘ridiculous’ new announcement made
Leeds United have their sights set on promotion to the Premier League this term and so far, are well on their way to making this a reality.
The Whites currently occupy the top spot in the Championship, two points clear of Sheffield United.
There is plenty of football left to be played but there is optimism inside Elland Road as Daniel Farke continues to guide them to victory, a 4-0 thrashing of Watford on Tuesday (11 February) the latest.
Daniel Farke frustrated at Leeds United decision
One thing that has come with the success of Leeds this term is an increased number of appearances on TV.
It’s understandable why broadcasters are eager to show the Whites this term given how well they doing, often serving up exciting games for viewers.
However, supporters in West Yorkshire seem to be getting to the end of their tether after their clash away at Portsmouth, their longest journey of the season, was changed to a 12:00 pm kick-off to be shown on TV.
Farke expressed his dismay at the number of games that are moved for broadcast as he said in his pre-match press conference on Monday (10 February, quoted via Leeds Live): “First of all, I always hope the fixture schedule is positive for all supporters.
“Because it’s a supporters game and you keep in mind that supporters need travelling time so they can make it for the games. If you’re thinking just about TV and not the fans who attend the stadium, then one day you will lose the love of our fanbase.
“That’s my first worry and the second is to have a fixture list that is right in terms of fair play. Sometimes you struggle to understand why the fixture list is how it is.
“In terms of the sense of the game, to see proper football, sometimes it [the tight schedule] makes no sense. Sometimes the fixture list does you a favour but since I’ve been here it’s been the other way around.”
However, the boss’ pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears after it was announced that the Whites will now be playing QPR at 12:30 pm on Saturday (15 March) rather than the original 3 pm kick-off time as Sky Sports want to show the game.
Leeds United are being unfairly treated by broadcasters
Given they are in a promotion race this season, of course, the Whites had to be prepared to have an increased number of their games changed to suit TV times.
However, the sheer number of selections is becoming ridiculous – not only for the travelling supporters but also for the players who are under increased pressure due to shorter times between each game.
The Championship schedule is already a hectic one and Farke wants his side on top form up until the end of the campaign, rather than having less time to recover.
The games between Portsmouth and QPR are just a week apart and on the Wednesday in between (12 February), Leeds host Millwall.
As Farke pointed out to those in charge, this is not a schedule that is sustainable at all and there could be worries that it could start to take its toll.
With this in mind, the West Yorkshire outfit may be somewhat relieved they were knocked out of the FA Cup as it takes some of the pressure off the already busy time that lies ahead before the end of the season.
It’s worth reminding the broadcasting companies that football is not a TV show and supporters matter, rather than genuine concerns being constantly dismissed.