Retour
A point at the Stadium of Light is rarely an outcome to scoff at. In the unforgiving crucible of the Premier League, stifling an opponent away, and winning a point isn’t a bad result for Leeds United.
Yet, as the final whistle blew on Wearside on Sunday with the score still 0-0, the prevailing mood among Leeds supporters was not one of quiet contentment. Instead, it was an uneasy feeling of déjà vu.
Leeds are proving remarkably difficult to beat. Under Daniel Farke, Leeds have lost just one game of their eight Premier League outings this season. Only one defeat so far, and that was an away trip to Arsenal.
Since the loss at Man City last November, Leeds have lost just six of 33 Premier League games. Farke has made this side defensively solid, improved in the summer with James Trafford and Tarik Muharemovic.
Last season, Leeds clocked up 47 points. This season, they have 11 from eight matches. If they continue that rate come the end of the season, Leeds will clock up 53 points. Enough for tenth place last season.
But a dive into recent fan discourse – in this week’s TalkingPoints debates – reveals a clear consensus: Leeds have become the division’s draw specialists, and it is a habit that could quietly derail their season.
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jordan.harris
How many games do we need to draw before we start to worry? I don’t mean relegation yet, but three points and one goal from Palace, Man U and Sunderland is clearly not good enough
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Nobody is calling for Farke’s head. To suggest otherwise would be to misread the room entirely. Reports say that there is agreement in principle between the club and Farke, even if he has sacked his agent.
Supporters largely recognise that the German tactician has executed a stable foundation, steering clear of the chaotic tactical naivety that defined previous top-flight campaigns, and the start to 2025-26.
But by continually splitting the spoils, Leeds are stacking up respectable results while inadvertently surrendering ground in the fight for mid-table safety. Any hope of a European dream will die quickly.
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chillout
Too many draws.
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The frustration does stem from the stark contradiction between the control of matches and their inability to kill them off. Man United’s recent results now suggest the 1-1 draw at Elland Road is a poor result.
Against ‘them’, and then Sunderland, Farke’s side occupied dangerous zones, controlled transitions, and looked every bit like an established top-flight outfit. Yet, they failed to deliver the knockout blow.
On Sunday, Sean Longstaff came close to breaking the deadlock on two occasions after being subbed on. Tarik Muharemovic should have done better with a header, and Jayden Bogle almost found Noah Okafor.
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daviescallum42
Need to start converting those draws into wins otherwise will start to fall adrift
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There is a deceptive comfort in being unbeaten over a sustained sequence, but drawing games can be an insidious trap. History is littered with sides who felt they were “doing fine” because they rarely lost.
Then, they look up in March and find themselves sleepwalking into a relegation dogfight. West Ham went down with 42 points in 2002-03 after drawing 12, while Boro under Gareth Southgate had seven draws.
Farke has successfully solved his side’s defensive vulnerability. Leeds have conceded only six goals in eight league games, keeping three clean sheets. Only Arsenal have conceded fewer goals this season.
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caleb.sage
Drawing quite a bit but wouldn’t be worried. Seventh in the table and are better than this season’s relegation candidates.
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Now, he faces a far more nuanced challenge: turning draws into wins. The fans are behind the manager, but their diagnosis is unequivocal. Leeds do not have a problem competing; they need to finish the job.
Unless Farke finds a way to unlock his attacking alternatives and take greater calculated risks in the final third, Leeds risk learning a hard lesson: safety is won with three points, not one.