Inside Elland Road: The next three games
Leeds United must be 'almost horrible' if they are to unsettle Manchester City and take something from the Etihad on Saturday, according to one of Daniel Farke's defenders.
Jayden Bogle has played against Manchester City four times in his career and tasted only defeat. On two of those occasions it was a loss by a single goal, including a 2023/24 encounter from which he came close to rescuing a point for Sheffield United. Coming off the bench, Bogle scored an 85th-minute equaliser only for Rodri to get a winner four minutes later. So anything that Leeds can take back across the Pennines with them on Saturday will be a first for Bogle.
Speaking exclusively to the YEP this week for the Inside Elland Road newsletter, Bogle countered recent suggestions that this is not the Manchester City of old by acknowledging they are still a side who can take advantage of weakness and hurt Leeds.
"They're still a fantastic side," said Bogle. "So yeah, we're preparing for that this week. We know the qualities they've got, how good they can be, especially when they turn it on as well. But I think again, we're going to be even more more focused on the fine details, because these are the type of teams that will really punish you."
Under Farke Leeds have traditionally been a side who seek to dominate possession and that hasn't really changed in the Premier League. But there has been more of an emphasis in most games on being physical and hard to beat. Farke said in his pre-City press conference that Leeds have to outrun other teams to give themselves a chance. If ever a game called for an incredible physical output from Bogle and his team-mates, it's this one. He wants Leeds to be 'almost horrible' when they go into tackles, without crossing the line.
"You know against these top teams that there's going to be tough spells in the game where you have to really dig in and give everything," he said. "And sometimes even that's not enough. You need that bit of quality, when you have got the ball, to take the sting out the game a bit. So that's going to be important as well. But again, I think focusing on working hard as a team and as a unit, to be difficult to beat, to be almost horrible in duels, not dangerous or reckless, but being physical and aggressive in duels, it's going to be a big part of the game as well."
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