Extra pressure on Police as London chaos predicted ahead of Fulham vs Leeds United
Leeds United and their supporters will be making the trip to London on Saturday when they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Most will be considering how Daniel Farke can make Leeds more defensively sound from set-pieces, or will the Whites finally score their first goal from open play?
However, it is shaping up to be a chaotic day for those travelling down to watch the game in person, with Leeds’ fixture being just one of five Premier League matches set to take place in the capital.
On top of this, two high-profile demonstrations are also set to take place, meaning a vastly increased police presence is expected for chaos in the capital on Saturday.
This article contains an exclusive opinion from former FIFA referee Keith Hackett.
‘Always extra pressure when Leeds United are in town,‘ says Keith Hackett
With prominent pundits like Chris Sutton predicting Leeds to lose, it could turn out to be a stressful day for travelling members of the Elland Road faithful.
Regarding the increased police presence on the day, Hackett had this to say, hoping that fans will behave and stay away from unnecessary trouble.
The ex-PGMOL chief did, however, admit that when Leeds fans are in town, pressure rises given the increased number of supporters.
“There is a high-ranking police officer linked with every Premier League club,” he exclusively told MOT Leeds News.
“They carry out detailed research and planning meetings before every game.
“The allocation of seats for away fans enables the pre-game planning to be aware of numbers travelling by coach and train. Police officers travel with away fans on the train. Even the estimated time of arrival of fans is known.
“There is no doubt that with this number of teams in the capital, I am sure that any police leave will be restricted. Let’s hope that fans will behave and stay clear of any public protests that might be planned.
“There is always that extra pressure on security when Leeds United are in town, given the number of followers they have. Many will turn up at the ground even if they do not have an entrance ticket.“
How many players are a doubt for Leeds’ game with Fulham?
Although it may be early in the season, there are already multiple injury concerns for Farke and Co.
Farke revealed in his pre-game press conference that Lukas Nmecha is among those carrying an injury, making him a doubt for the game.
Whilst the German manager kept his cards relatively close to his chest, these are the players who are either a doubt or fully ruled out for the game against Fulham on Saturday:
- Lukas Nmecha – foot injury – doubt
- Joel Piroe – Bruised calf – doubt
- Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka – late decisions to be made on their fitness – doubts
- Lucas Perri – quad strain – ruled out
Let’s hope that trouble is avoided and Leeds leave Craven Cottage with all three points.
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