Junior Firpo shut down for ‘arrogant’ Leeds United comment ahead of potential issue in upcoming Championship fixtures

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Leeds United may be top of the league right now, but they may have to adapt their playing style if they want to get over the line in the hunt for the title.

It would be fair to say Leeds have been pretty relentless in their pursuit of promotion this season. The Whites have lost just three games all year, and are currently three points clear at the top of the Championship table.

With 11 games to go, Daniel Farke’s side look good to finally get back to the Premier League and put the disappointment of last season’s play-off final defeat behind them.

A lot of neutrals believe Leeds are already promoted, but there’s still plenty of time for it all to go wrong, especially if the players don’t stay humble.

• READ MORE: West Brom’s Mikey Johnston says play-offs ‘in our hands’, outlines six key Championship fixtures where club has big advantage

Junior Firpo’s comments could come back to haunt him

Speaking after Leeds’ recent 1-1 draw against West Brom, Junior Firpo told Sky Sports that he felt ‘just one team’ came to win the game at Elland Road.

The Leeds man suggested the Baggies’ defensive tactics lacked the bravery to take all three points, but ultimately, it was a crucial point for Tony Mowbray’s side in their battle to secure a play-off place this season.

The folks on the Second Tier podcast were not happy with Firpo’s comments, and turned the blame around on Leeds for failing to break down West Brom’s defensive unit.

Ryan Dilks said: “This really annoyed me from a Leeds perspective. Junior Firpo coming out and saying only one team came out to win this game. The thing is, it’s not the first time a Leeds player has said similar. You could even argue WBA had the best opportunities in this game.

“But secondly, even if they weren’t looking to win – they’re going away to the strongest team in the league, only one team has won at Elland Road this season. Why would West Brom go there looking to win? A draw is a great result. The Leeds players surely know this, so I don’t get why they insist on whining about teams playing for a draw?”

Co-host Justin Peach agreed, and was particularly frustrated by Firpo’s attitude, even describing it as an ‘arrogant’ outlook on the game.

He added: “They should be whining about not getting better results against teams that do sit back and play a low block. I hate that type of comment. It’s pointless and it’s arrogant.

“We’ve heard it multiple times from multiple players… if you can’t break a team down, that’s not on them, they’re trying to win the game in their own way.”

Looking ahead, Leeds still need to play six teams who are currently in the bottom half of the table, with games against Portsmouth, QPR, Luton Town, Oxford United, Stoke City, and Plymouth Argyle still to come.

There’s a very good chance that all of those teams will set up in a similar fashion to West Brom’s low block approach. In fact, they’re all likely to be even more defensive and stubborn as they desperately look for a way to pick up points and ensure safety this season.

So, Leeds can expect far more frustrating encounters than last weekend’s clash with West Brom, and simply put, they will have to find a way to combat that. The best teams find ways to win, and it’s time for Farke’s side to prove they are worthy of the title.

• READ MORE: Leeds United agree sale that can net them £7m, but another forgotten man could return to Elland Road in the summer

Leeds United will not suffer promotion slip again this season

In fairness, there is one Leeds player acknowledging the team’s faults at least. Pascal Struijk recently highlighted the fact his team are relying on late goals in games, and that this could hamper their chances of promotion.

Still, it’s hard to imagine a world where Leeds United don’t pick up the Championship title and head back to the top flight. But, it is a lot closer than they would hope for at this stage of the season.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	35	22	10	3	72	22	50	76
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	35	23	6	6	50	27	23	73
3	BurnleyBurnley	35	19	14	2	45	10	35	71
4	SunderlandSunderland	35	18	11	6	52	32	20	65

Sheffield United have been a little inconsistent of late, though, and of course, Leeds have already beaten the Blades. It is perhaps Burnley, then, that Farke’s men should fear the most, with the Clarets looking impenetrable and unbeatable lately.

Sometimes it takes a setback like last season’s play-off defeat to inspire and push a team to success, and Leeds certainly do look more resilient and driven this year.

The fact of the matter is, they’re unlikely to drop enough points from any of those aforementioned games to really suffer a slip-up. But, they will have to guard against complacency to ensure they get the job done.