Leeds United manager makes complaint over 'crazy schedule' as Sheffield United remain top of Championship

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke complained he was not happy with his side’s early kick off on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 at Blackburn Rovers.

Todd Cantwell scored the only goal of the game via a first-half penalty in a result that kept Sheffield United top of the Championship after their 1-0 win over Sunderland on Friday night. The Blades went into the latest round of games in second place, behind Leeds on goal difference, but now have a three-point advantage over their Yorkshire rivals. Burnley sit second after a win over Stoke City with the Black Cats down in fourth after the Blades’ victory at Bramall Lane.

Leeds returned to action from the international break against Swansea City last Sunday and beat Luton Town at Elland Road on Wednesday night. The contest against Blackburn kicked off at 1.30pm, 90 minutes earlier than originally planned, after a request and intervention from Lancashire Police back in September

After their loss at Ewood Park, Farke voiced his displeasure with the short turnarounds but insisted he was not ready to use it as an excuse for his side’s defeat. He said: “We started a bit too slow and especially in the beginning, gave too many unnecessary free-kicks and fouls away. The penalty was more or less the same situation. I don’t want to be too critical, so lazy is perhaps a bit too harsh, but we started too slowly. I think we should have a bit more on it in the in the first half, should have invested a bit more. We should have been a bit quicker, quicker in the head. But we were not.

“Of course, it was the third games and within six days. But also don’t want to search for excuses, so today, I think the slow start was reason that we lost this game. I don’t like early kick-offs, and especially I don’t like early kick-offs when you have such a quick turn around. But I don’t complain about this because we are also used to it. If you have such a crazy schedule, it’s difficult, but nevertheless, again, I think we could have started better, and I don’t want to use this as an excuse. But if you ask me, personally, I don’t like them at all.”