Leeds players will not be distracted by rivals – Farke
Watford v Leeds United
LEEDS United supporters are in danger of getting square eyes this Easter weekend.
Since Easter stopped really being a thing at Premier League level – the top division's only religion these days is money – Good Friday and Easter Monday have largely been left for the second tier to make hay on the television schedules, and this year it certainly is doing so.
Two Leicester City games kick off at 12.30pm live on Sky, with two early-evening Ipswich Town games – the second at home to automatic promotion-chasers Southampton – followed by two Leeds matches, at Watford on Friday, then at home to Hull City on Monday.
It could mean plenty of to-ing and fro-ing in the Championship table, with the Foxes able to take top spot off Leeds today, and if they do, Ipswich can knock the Whites out of the automatic promotion places for a couple of hours at least.
Leeds will know exactly what their rivals have done on both days. It could crank up the pressure or open opportunities but manager Daniel Farke is unconcerned about his players getting distracted. “They are all mature,” he reasons. “It's not like I'm working in a nursery and it's not like I have to tell them every minute what they have to do.
“If I was to act like this pretty soon they would think I was not the leader they needed because they're mature and most of them have lots to care for with their families.
“They know if they're sitting for 10 hours in front of a screen it's not possible to concentrate on your own performance in the evening.
“If they have a look for a few minutes in the hotel it's no problem at all but we also have our schedule, we have our meetings and we'll speak about what's necessary.
“They won't be following three games over 90 minutes but if they have a look I'm not too concerned,” he added.
What happens at Ashton Gate, where Leicester are at lunchtime, and at Ewood Park (where Ipswich are visitors), as well as at St Mary's, where Leeds would love a favour from Middlesbrough, will have a bearing on the mood in the Vicarage Road away end, but Farke does not expect it to have a huge bearing on the grass.
“At least not for myself and I would also reckon not for the players because there is such a quick turnaround that you have to be fully concentrated on yourself and what you have to do,” he says.
“We know how big a challenge this game will be because of the quality of Watford, the circumstances and the schedule.
“I don't think it will distract us because it hasn't distracted us in recent weeks.”