Brighton loanee Ben White's Leeds United wish ahead of Queens Park Rangers clash

Ben White wants Leeds to return to their defensive solidity that made them the meanest in England (Pic: PA)

At the start of November the Whites had conceded fewer league goals than anyone else in English football, bar Leicester City and Sheffield United, who had each played four fewer games.

Having shipped just 12 goals in the first 23 games of the season, they allowed 14 in their next seven outings, including three at home to Cardiff City and four at Birmingham City.

Ben White played a major part in constructing the wall that made Leeds the country’s meanest defence and admits they need to do the same again, if they are to build a better run of form.

Speaking after a run of just one win in seven games, White, who didn’t sound thrilled about his own recent performances, said clean sheets will be key.

“I’ve done all right,” he said. “Clean sheets haven’t been there at the moment, but that’s what we need to get back to, get back to the drawing board, clean sheets and get some goals. We will pick ourselves up and go again.”

The centre-half isn’t too downbeat, however, given Leeds’ success over the first half of the season and their current position in the Championship, which is something that he believes speaks in favour of the team’s character and ability.

“There’s a lot of games to go,” he said.

“There’s 19 [games] and six points [between Leeds and third] – nine points, 12 points, it’s all the same really because you can slip up or do well.

“We are just taking every game as it comes and trying to get the maximum points that we can on the day.

“We are second in the league so there has obviously got to be something about us to be up there.”

A trip to London is rarely straightforward for Leeds United and on Saturday they travel to a QPR side who have won their last two home games in emphatic style.

Before last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Brentford, the R’s were 6-1 winners over Cardiff City and 5-1 winners over Swansea.

“Obviously they are going to be a tough side, going there and they are at home with their crowd,” said White.

“Every game is tough in the Championship.

“We will take it not as an easy game, we will go there expecting a tough one.”

A tricky festive period and a difficult January, along with the need to bring in a ‘big signing’ in the transfer window, is all a little reminiscent of last season, when White wasn’t at Elland Road.

But the ghosts of last season haven’t cropped up in conversation with the players and he insists their full focus is on this season and the task that lies ahead, not what has gone before.

“Not that I have heard no,” he said.

“We don’t talk about anything like that what’s happened before.

“We are all about now and what we can do to get up.”