Leeds United produced another brilliant performance away from home on Tuesday night to beat Watford 4-0 at Vicarage Road to move five points clear at the top of the Championship table. Daniel Farke’s men, like in the previous two league games, made a flying start to the proceedings and three first-half goals meant that the match was more or less done before the half-time whistle was blown. Leeds could have scored more but the performance showed that the Whites are shifting gears at a crucial stage of the season. Watford’s poor run of form continued and they now have one win in ten league games despite still being in the running for a playoff spot. Tom Cleverley admitted after the game that Leeds are on a different level but couldn’t help himself from aiming a dig at the Whites.
Farke’s men are motoring along as they push towards securing automatic promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season ahead of their closest rivals.
Leeds United have taken their game to the next level and their remarkable consistency means, the Whites have a bigger margin for error and still do enough to get promoted to the Premier League by finishing in the top two.
A trip to Vicarage Road is never an easy game for any side in the Championship but Leeds outclassed Watford thoroughly on Tuesday night and walked out of Hertfordshire with three points in their kitty.
A gulf exists between the two sides and while Watford are still within touching distance of the playoff spots, Cleverley has work to do to get his team going again.
However, the former Manchester United star did have a go at Leeds after the game and noted the financial disparity between the two sides on display on Tuesday night.
‘Unfair to compare my players with an expensive Leeds United squad’ – the Watford manager
Watford was completely outclassed by a Leeds side that, at this stage of the Championship campaign, seems to be comfortably marching towards playing in the Premier League next season.
Leeds scored the early goals and settled the game even before half-time. In the second half, Watford were left to ensure that the scoreline didn’t reach embarrassing levels.
The Whites were far too good for the Hornets at Vicarage Road and Cleverley conceded that the result should inspire him and his players to try and reach the levels Leeds have attained this season.
However, the Watford manager insisted that it would be unfair to compare the two sides given Leeds have one of the most expensive squads in the league.
“It inspires me to get my team to those sorts of levels – it is a little bit unfair on some of our players but we are a little thin at the minute”, Cleverley told Watford’s in-house media.
“It is a very expensive squad that they have, so it is a little bit unfair for me to go in there and compare my players to theirs and really judge us against them – Saturday and the week after will be more where it will be a fair judgement of my players.”
Leeds’ success this season is not down to money only
With Leeds seeming to be on their way back to the top flight, expect more such retorts from opposition managers as it is an easy excuse for their teams’ poor performances.
Yes, Leeds have the highest wage bill in the Championship this season and the parachute payments from the Premier League massively affect the competitive nature of English football’s second tier.
However, it would have been easier to downplay Leeds’ chances of promotion when they lost the playoff final last season and three of their best players left the club in the summer.
Leeds earned the money they spent last year and their recruitment team deserve massive credit for identifying players such as Ao Tanaka, Joe Rothwell and Manor Solomon who have made a real difference this season.
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The irony is Leeds’ highest-paid player is Patrick Bamford and he has been more or less a non-entity for the Whites this season due to his injury struggles.
The Championship’s best midfielder this season is Tanaka and he cost the Whites £3m and wages worth £25,000 per week. Watford’s top four earners are on more money than the Japanese midfielder.
It is easy to aim a dig at the money spent on the Leeds squad but it would require some close studying to understand the way Farke has painstakingly rebuilt the squad last summer to keep them in the promotion hunt.
We have seen teams drop off the next year after losing a playoff final but Leeds didn’t. Opposition managers should pay close attention to see why it happened.
