Scott Parker praises Leeds United boss ahead of clash and addresses 'challenging' Elland Road atmosphere
Leeds will host Burnley at Elland Road on Saturday as the Championship returns to action.
The Championship returns to action this weekend with Hull City getting the latest round of fixtures underway when they host Sheffield United at the MKM Stadium. Leeds United are one of the three lunchtime kick-offs on Saturday and it’s Burnley who are waiting to try their luck at Elland Road.
The two promotion chasers have started the season off strong but with heavy competition for a route back into the Premier League, both sides are in for a challenging run towards the end of the season. Establishing early wins against close rivals will be a huge boost for Leeds, who are so far unbeaten in the Championship this season.
Returning to action at home against a big rival will be a positive for Leeds, and Burnley manager Scott Parker is well aware of how tough the afternoon is going to be, especially with the Elland Road faithful backing the Whites all the way.
Speaking to Burnley’s website ahead of their clash, the 43-year-old said: “It's a big test for us against a very good side. They have a pretty settled team, obviously they made some changes in the summer, but a lot of the players have been there a while now.
“Then you add that to the atmosphere that a full Elland Road brings and that brings a challenge, but it's an exciting challenge for us and we are looking forward to going into this weekend.”
Following their relegation, the Clarets are eager to return to the Premier League as soon as possible. However, as shown by Leeds last season, it’s not always plain sailing in the gritty promotion battle. Daniel Farke’s side finished third in the table, booking their spot in the play-offs, but a devastating 1-0 defeat to Southampton in the final meant they will have to fight again this season.
Farke and Parker are two of very few managers to achieve promotion from the Championship on more than one occasion. Both bosses are well-equipped for the task ahead but Parker has weighed in on how difficult it is and praised Farke for his efforts last season.
“It's an extremely difficult task, from the outside some people see it as just the squad, which of course gives you a great opportunity, but so much more goes into it. To get a team out of this league more than once, I've full admiration for Daniel and the work he has done. They missed out narrowly last season in what is a 50/50 game, but he has a really good team there.”