'One of the best' - Leeds United warning and brutal truth amid Ipswich questions: David Prutton

There's still been a couple of little reminders of late such as the Rotherham United game to come and bite them on the bum a bit. But Leeds are producing what we wanted to see from them and their reaction to conceding early against both Swansea City and Middlesbrough showed a nice bit of fortitude in the side.

Injuries or suspensions notwithstanding, it's going pretty well but knowing the kind of black humour that Leeds fans can have, it's almost got to the point where you are looking over your shoulder a little bit thinking that something is obviously going to happen!

Most of the focus in the automatic promotion race has been on Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Leeds but you absolutely also have to look at the likes of Southampton and West Brom having seen them and having seen what they are capable of. The Leicester v West Brom game was very tight up until that last second.

Hull City are also there operating under a slightly different expectation and Leeds have a trip to Blackburn next who will be wanting to put right last weekend’s loss to Sheffield Wednesday. As a neutral watching on, it is fascinating to see.

Ipswich have been absolutely phenomenal, constantly phenomenal. You look at them and you wonder how they will cope if they get any injuries to key players because they have got some very, very, very important players in the starting XI.

Their manager Kieran McKenna will also be highly coveted and whether someone pulls the ripcord in the Premier League and comes sniffing around him I don't know. And at Leicester, Foxes boss Enzo Maresca has shown again what his side are capable of. He has been very balanced in the sense that he has been methodical following both victories and defeats.

The leading pack contains three teams that were in the Premier League last season in Leicester, Leeds and Southampton who are the first cabs of the rank and time will tell whether they end up one, two and three. But it's going to be fascinating to see if anyone can make up that gap to the top two positions.

I know that the inconsistency that Preston are showing will be getting on Ryan Lowe's nerves and over at Sunderland we don't quite know yet who will be leading that ship. Then there is Watford, Cardiff and Middlesbrough and everyone is still well within touching distance.

Maybe the discussion in January will look slightly different and there will be a slightly clearer picture. But the teams that we believed would be up there are up there and Leeds are very definitely amongst the favourites for at least the top six if not the top two.

Leeds are continuing to miss a lot of chances in front of goal, something that Daniel Farke has mentioned a few times and I understand that. These are the high standards that Daniel is demanding. But if you are still putting three past teams then what do you want to win by? Five or six? It doesn't really matter as long as you are winning games. I think that's what it really boils down to.

I think you'd also have to have half an eye on January given how well players have done and how well they have stepped up when they have been called upon. Also players that last year were not performing in the Premier League seem to have settled and found some rhythm and consistency.

Every club is a selling club and every player has got his price. So let's not be naive to think that a player who is in that team who could be part of a promotion-winning side with Leeds would for one second block a move to the Premier League because of the potential of that. That's the kind of brutal truth of it. It would be trading an actual thing for the potential of an actual thing so let's not kid ourselves with that and we saw in the summer that various players quite obviously didn't want to be there and got their wish.

Now it's all gone nicely quiet and everyone is on the same page and everyone is very happy moving on the same footing. But if someone comes in from the Prem and says ‘we will give you x amount for that player and he will get that much a week’ then it can be very quick sometimes for it to turn.

Daniel Farke has been awarded the November man of the match award which no doubt means Leeds will lose against Blackburn now. But six points has got to be the first port of call from the trips to Blackburn and Sunderland over the next four days.

I will be intrigued to know what Sunderland look like without Tony Mowbray with whoever is in there next. As for Blackburn, boss Jon Dahl Tomasson won't be on the bench having got sent off in the last game. He looks relatively hands on but there aren't many coaches who aren't hands on. I am sure that his players will be able to operate without him right there, front and centre.

The Championship's player of the month Sammie Szmodics is a fantastic player and Blackburn have got some really lively players going forward. That goes for both Blackburn and Sunderland. At Sunderland, Jack Clarke is another player who people are very interested in who can cause trouble and he is obviously somebody that Leeds know about having come through the youth ranks there.

Given where his career has gone, he has really found a home at Sunderland. He moved from Leeds when he thought it was right and he didn't quite get the minutes that he was after at a big club at Tottenham. But he is more than capable at this level and I'd say he is one of the best players at this level so there's plenty in there to keep Leeds honest with it.

Whoever comes in at Sunderland has got to fit into whatever structure Sunderland have created. They want to get young players through and they want to make sure that they are operating at the top end of the table. A cynic might say that they are only three points off the top six so what the hell are they doing sacking Tony Mowbray? But I don't run a football club so I don't know.

With these next two fixtures that are away there's also a rivalry although whether anyone cares a stuff about a Yorkshire and Lancashire rivalry I'm not sure. But Blackburn's ground is a traditional old Premier League stadium and the Stadium of Light will be absolutely packed on Tuesday night. They love turning out there.

They will turn out to watch Leeds and turn out to make sure that Leeds know they are in a game. It will be tough. It won't be straightforward but any test of Leeds United's resolve is absolutely and unquestionably needed if they think they're going to get anywhere near the top two.