Daniel Farke on Leeds United must in new record bid with fans message and 'rotten tomatoes' quip

Leeds will return to action after an eight-day break with this afternoon’s Championship hosting of Millwall in which a victory by two clear goals would send Farke’s side top of the division. Fourteen of United’s 18 league games at Elland Road this season have yielded victories with the other four producing draws for a still unbeaten record at LS11.

Five more games at Elland Road now stand between Leeds going the whole season without any team leaving their home turf with all three points. Speaking ahead of today’s visit of Millwall, Farke says records and statistics are matters to look back on over the summer, by which point he hopes to have United back in the Premier League.

Farke, though, admits the need to make United’s home ground a fortress was one of his earliest calls upon taking the Whites hotseat but that the only focus now is on this afternoon’s visit of the Lions.

Asked if there was a growing belief that Leeds could stay unbeaten at Elland Road with just five games left, Farke declared: "Yes, I spoke to them in the beginning about having to make sure Elland Road is a fortress because if you want to finish in a top position in the Championship your home ground has to be a fortress. You need to win many points at home.

"If I am honest, not during the season so much, because we are not addicted to statistics or records, this is something for the summer break when you sit with coffee and cake on the sofa, you can look back and analyse it a bit and be happy about some records.

"Right now if you think you want to stay unbeaten and you are addicted to something for the record books, you are not focused on the here and now. We are just highly motivated to win the next points, we are respectful, we don’t lean back and think ‘ok we’re in a great form at home and everything is easy’, no, we know that each and every side comes here in order to be the first side who wins three points here at Elland Road.

"Each and every game is more complicated on this topic and for that we don’t think too much about what we could achieve with an unbeaten record at home, no, the only focus is to win the next points at home.

"Then, if the outcome is something for the record books, great, we would love and appreciate it, but this is not in our daily thoughts as you can be over excited and over motivated and then you are not back at your best. We have to play football highly motivated but also with a smile, this balance is important."

After earlier troubles on the road, Farke’s side have also found the balance of taking victories both home and away, last weekend’s 2-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday putting Leeds back in the division’s second automatic promotion spot until Ipswich Town moved back second yesterday.

Farke’s name echoed from the Hillsborough away end as he celebrated in front of United’s fans who the German manager has again singled out for huge praise, albeit with a “rotten tomatoes” quip.

"I appreciate that I am allowed to work for such a fantastic club and the best supporters in this country,” said Farke. "I know what an emotional club this is and when you are successful, it helps, and you are there with a positive feedback and you can’t take it for granted.

"Sometimes you also work as a manager and after a loss rotten tomatoes are thrown, so you have to deal with it and not be too over the moon when you have good times or too concerned in tough times. It’s the pressure you have to handle as a manager and when there is praise, you don’t have to enjoy too much, the most important topic is the club and the bond between supporters and players.

"They need the support, our young lads, I am of the age where I can handle criticism or when not everyone is not signing my name. The stage is there for my players, they are the first to celebrate with our supporters, I am just there to help a little bit. I am thankful and grateful they have so much trust and support from our supporters, and yes once you feel the club is united, you have a good base to be successful.

"When you look during the last century, this club was most successful when it was united, because it’s Leeds United, it is like one wall and unit together, then it is difficult to resist and stop this unity. It’s good times at the moment."

Asked if there was an element of frustration that Leeds had still not pulled away in the division’s automatic promotion places despite winning 11 of their last 12 games, Farke declared: "No. If you win 11 out of 12 and stay unbeaten, there is just joy and confidence. If you just stay too addicted to the table, I don’t think you are at our best. It’s a bit like life, you have your times but you also have to enjoy the way.

"We didn’t start to play football just to think about tables, money, contracts, bonuses or business, or to promote somewhere. We started football to enjoy the game and to win this game, we work in this manner and we attack the games, and after a good result at Sheffield we enjoy this but we are not to addicted if we move one place up in the table or not. We did and it’s great, we like it, we don’t want to switch this situation but overall you have to say what we have done in recent weeks is quite impressive."