'We lost' - Dan James declares two Leeds United musts with goals declaration and Blackburn Rovers admission

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Whites star Dan James has declared a double Leeds United must.

Dan James has given a frank assessment of Leeds United’s home and away form, with a Blackburn Rovers admission and two Whites musts.

Second-placed Leeds are preparing for Saturday’s return to Championship against Oxford United at Elland Road where the Whites will bid for a brilliant eighth home win in succession.

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An LS11 haul of 28 points out of a possible 33 has Daniel Farke’s side top of the Championship home table but James knows it’s been a different story on their travels.

Leeds needed a late own goal to prevent another 1-0 away loss at last weekend’s hosts Preston North End, a 1-1 draw taking United’s away haul to 14 points out of a possible 30 - only eighth best in the division.

That record, admits James, must improve but in addition to maintaining the club’s superb home form ahead of this weekend’s visit of Oxford.

In form winger James says Leeds will always benefit from having the crowd as their “12th man” at Elland Road - but admits his team were also cheered on by 7,000 away fans in this month’s clash at Blackburn Rovers which ended in a 1-0 defeat.

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"We've had great home form this season,” said James to the BBC. “We always want it to be tough when people come to our place.

"We need to keep that going, but we need to win away from home as well. It's important getting these home wins but we've had some difficult games away recently.

"I think we came back well from Preston, it was a valuable point at the end of the game but this home form needs to continue."

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Asked if he had noticed a change in the way teams set up at Elland Road given his team’s home record, James reasoned: "I wouldn't say so much a change. I think there's been occasions where teams have gone from a four to a five and we have got to prepare for both really.

"We just try and break teams down however they set up really. But we go into every game the same, whether it's home or away.

"Obviously our away form hasn't been as good as home. You could say that the fans that are kind of the 12th man plays a big part of that.

“But we lost at Blackburn away and we had 7,000 fans so you can't really say we didn't have that either.

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"Scoring the first goal is always so important and I think when teams have obviously sat back, Derby was a tough game at home, Plymouth obviously set up with quite a lot at the back and it's just about getting that first goal and then can you go and score more then, dominating teams.

"I don't think we have been as good away at doing that but that's something we want to improve on."

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