Full Leeds United press conference transcript as Farke discusses dazzling duo, Kamara, injuries, Leicester and team spirit

Joe Rodon, Djed Spence Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas, how are they all getting on?

Yes, Djed Spence is not in team training at the moment. We expect him to be back within the next seven-to-fourteen days so he won't be involved in any game before the international break, but we expect him to be back on the other side of the international break. Junior football after his long term injury. Yes, he's in team training since 10 days. I think this week was and is also good for him because it's the first proper training week. Before it was just travelling and playing games, it was difficult and for a player who comes back from a long term injury, each and every session is as good for him and he's edging closer and closer and no setback in the last day. So, definitely good news and he's also in the mix and also available if we call him up for the game-day squad already before the international break. Yes, we will see but [there] is definitely progress with him and he's on the right path.

Yes, there were a few players with a few concerns Joe Rodon, Sam Byram, also Cree Summerville after last game, I substitute all three of them, we had to take care of them yesterday, so they were just involved in parts of the team training but were able to train today the full session with the team so if there is no reaction, they are all three available and back. Definitely good news. Sadly some bad news with Joe Gelhardt. He had a hand fracture yesterday in training and we wait for some further assessment. He will definitely miss out at least a couple of weeks so we need for further assessment, if he perhaps needs a surgery that would rule him out for even longer. But this will happen in the next days and he's definitely not a topic for this game.

Just how useful was being able to bring important players off [vs Huddersfield] for you, Daniel, being able to withdraw those players maybe a little earlier than you normally would?

DF: It was necessary due to some problems, Sam was complaining about some problems with his hamstring, Cree Summerville we spoke about since a few weeks he is struggling and also at halftime he report an awareness again with his body and he was quite confident he could go for perhaps 10-15 minutes [in the second half] but not longer. And also Joe Rodon, yes after lots of load with the national team with some problems in his hamstring, it was necessary. It was not like I was too concerned about their load because we have right now a normal week, it was necessary and yes for that we had to make this decision and thank God there was a bit more time right now for recovery. And yes, I hope that all three of them will be available.

Glen Kamara, arguably one of his strongest performance on Saturday. Can you tell us about his influence on the pitch but also off the pitch on the training ground please?

DF: Yes, I think in general we have a really, really young squad and many young players when you have a look at our average age in the starting lineup. It's important also to have some experienced players and again, we don't have to speak about his CV, he has played for a big club with Rangers with always lots of pressure to win more or less each and every game in the league. He's a proven Finland international with more than 50 caps already. So he was involved in many, many battles on the pitch, it was difficult for him in the start because he had no proper pre-season and not really games. And also the second half of last season, he was not that much involved. But each and every week, each training session on the pitch with us is helpful and he's on a good path. So I think there's still more to come and he needs a bit time to be there with 100% But I agree, I think it was probably his most complex performance. And he's definitely a player who gives us lots of quality on the ball in his decision-making which pass to make, can dictate also the rhythm of the game. I think he still needs to sharpen a bit up in the physical way because due to his lack of game-time in the last months but the more he plays and more he's involved I think the better his physical endurance and stability will be and he's definitely on a good path and further on, he is a top teammate, top lad, pretty much involved in each every joke that the lads have in the dressing room. So he's a great, great guy to have around that we're all happy together.

I guess for you as a manager when you've got someone like an Archie Gray coming into the side in the same or similar position Glen's experience was so useful for you to utilise as well?

DF: Yes, absolutely. Because we have in this positions, especially in the heart of the game. You also need some experience that we have a very young lad with Archie Gray also Jamie Shackleton who can play in this situation still in the young age, with Darko Gyabi, also more or less still a teenager we've got Ethan Ampadu, so outstanding so far this season but we must not forget how young he is still and actually Ilia Gruev also proven Bundesliga and also Bulgarian international but still at a young age and it's good to have a really experienced guy like Glen Kamara around. He's good for the group and we are all happy that we have him.

On Saturday, I think a lot of the fans enjoyed see Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto celebrate together the way they did - what did you make to that?

DF: So, I'm from a different generation so after when I scored goals, I was a striker as well, it was more or less celebrating together with my teammates and nowadays, the guys like to dance a bit around. Our generation was more in the evening after the game sometimes dancing, but it's changed a lot and right now they dance on the football pitch. I'm a bit old fashioned and wouldn't dance around but if you're that capable and have so much skills, you know it's definitely allowed, also good fun and yes, so if they deliver such performances and also put such a shift and show some workload like this and you can also dance around a bit but the most important topic is still that you have the right moves in the football boots and that's even more important than the dancing shoes, but if they deliver such hard work, then they're also allowed to celebrate.

It feels like such a close knit group. How important is that to you when it does translate onto the pitch?

DF: That's very important, especially also the players who are perhaps not always in the starting line-up in this game, I'm quite sure that also Willy Gnonto would have liked to start the game and to be involved also in the first half but then that he's unwilling to celebrate with the team and you also get the feeling so when we celebrate goals the whole bench is buzzing, or when we score a late winner or a late equaliser the whole bench is more or less the first guy who is celebrating with the guy who scored the goal. So this says a lot about the feeling and the team spirit that we are all more thinking about, about us as a group about this club and about us as a team and not too much about individual success. So, individual statistics, it's all about the team and this is also the spirit that we tried to bring into this group and the lads respond in a perfect way and yes, long may it continue because I've also worked in different dressing rooms. So this unity and togetherness and the spirit is really something really special. And it's still going at the moment from from day to day and yes, hopefully we can go on with this spirit.

Just a couple of questions on Leicester - amazing start to life back in the Championship as you're well aware of. Why is it in your opinion, so many teams have found it difficult to cope with Leicester so far this season?

DF: Yes, first of all, you have to say they deserve with this point tally after 14 games to be there in this position. I think it's remarkable and then you just can give them credit and applause and they deserve all the praise I think it's a fantastic side. Many reasons, many top players, many players who have played on Premier League level, also lots of stability in the club, although obviously there was this disappointment of relegation but you get the feeling quite quick they went back to work and kept the key players together and found a really good group, good balance with lots of quality players, a quality coach. Yes, really, really well run club and and all in all, this leads into a picture where they are at the moment, one of the best if not the best start in the history of the of the Championship and points tally is remarkable but yes, we are full of respect, we will travel full of respect and we know that we have to be there with our best, with the top class performance to earn the right to win some points but we won't travel in fear. We will travel with respect but not in fear. Wherever we go. We are Leeds United and we want to win points.

Albeit only 14 games in but there is that gap starting to form between the top two and the rest of the top six. Are you looking at this game already as a must win?

DF: No, no, not at all. It's a great game because it's a game between two big clubs also with a big tradition also two clubs who played recently on a Premier League level, two clubs who've had a really good start obviously Leicester even better than us but we are also there with four wins in the last five games sitting on position three with good points and with good goal difference. Leicester even better. So two quality sides it's a great game, spotlight game Friday evening, floodlight is on us, it's a great game to be involved in both teams wants to win points. And it's always great because you don't want to have games where it's more or less like an easy win and no question who wins the game. It's more or less you want to have these battles and this type of games in this quality games and I think everyone who likes the Championship and likes football is looking forward to this game. Obviously both sides wants to win points but it's far away from being a final. So this would be perhaps a final if it's after, whatever, if it's the 45th game-day and then you have to win in order to promote or you have to make sure that you win to have further on a chance to promote, but not the 15th game, it's just another opportunity to win points. Whatever happens in the [grand] scheme both teams and both clubs have everything in their own hands. So when you speak about for example, direct promotion, it's always the same - what you need after 46 games: 26 wins, 12 draws, then you are there was 90 points and you will promote, it's as simple as that and and whatever the outcome is both teams are capable to do this after this game. Obviously, when you win some points in this game, it's even a bit easier to be there with this outcome but it's always the same, so you still have everything in your own hands and if you want to qualify for the play-offs, probably it's also enough to be there was 20 wins and it's even more possible also after this game. So at the moment we don't have to speak about what happens after 46 games or promotion or direct promotion or play-offs. It's more like 'no concentrate on good performances, concentrate on why we grow up and played football'. Yeah, we want to win with our mates against the other mates and you want to win the football game and let the table take care for itself and then after after 40, after 46 games you have to have a look on the table and you have to look where you where you are but not after after 14 or 15 games. At the moment, it's more like 'come on, we want to deliver performances, want to earn as many points as possible'. And point gaps to any other opponent is at the moment not important. The only thing that matters is yeah, try to be there with the best possible point totally at the moment. And then the end we will see the outcome.

Would there ever be a scenario where you would let your opposition have possession and you focus on counter attacking, or would that send the wrong message?

DF: No. Our approach will never be that we just park the bus and put the ball in the stand or over the stand and try to be there with a counter attack from 90-yards or a three times deflected striker, getting lucky off an opponents goalkeeper, no, we want to attack the games and be the protagonist. This will always be our approach, we are Leeds United, we want to do this wherever we go and wherever we play. It’s still important to be good on the counter attack because you have to be good in all periods and phases of the game, and if you want to be successful against a top side, you have to expect they will have a lot of possession and you have to be rock solid in your structure and then also you need to use counter attacks. When I think about the last game against Huddersfield, we dominated the second half with I I think 80 per cent possession. You literally can’t have more than we had but we were capable to create chances out of each and every possible situation in the game. Were good on the counter attack, the build up, we created chances through the centre, the wings, we want to use each and every tool to create and score. One of our strengths is quick counter attacks, but not just after winning the ball in our box and going 100 yards, we are also quite strong when we win the ball in opponents half and have a quick but short counter attack. This is definitely also something we want to use but it is important to rock solid in defending and use our winnings of the ball. We want to use counter attacks, and in the game against Leicester City, definitely.

Leicester want to be protagonists as well and dominate possession, so what is the key to winning the possession?

DF: Bravery. It’s also important to be brave enough to press the opponent and not to be too impressed with them. It’s also not that we want to win the possession statistics and it is the same for them. It should help, we are not playing with so much possession just to win the statistic, it has to benefit us and lead us because it’s the best way to have the chance to win the game, because as long as you have the ball the opponent can’t score. As long as you have the ball, you exhaust the opponent because they have to shift, and nobody likes to play football to run after the ball, you play because you want to have the ball. If you don’t have stupid own goals, then when you have the ball the opponent can’t score. It increases your chances to win the game but it also not to lose the focus on the most important topic which is to win the game. They will be on such an important level and also periods where you find it difficult to press them, to stay in possession, and you have to be there with well structured defending. If I’m honest each and every game, the topic is you need periods where you have to defend rock solid and in this game even more. There will be periods where you need to suffer a bit and show great heart and will to suffer, and accept the opponent is strong and will have periods of possession, but then to make the most of your possession. There’s never a guarantee you will dominate like we did against our last opponent in the second half but one key is to be there with as much possession as possible.

Friday night coincides with an Under-21s game as well, has that disrupted plans to let Charlie Cresswell have some minutes, will he have to be with you?

DF: Once we have a tricky schedule and we play all three days, we are careful not to send too many players in Under-21s because we already had some involved. Mateo Joseph desperately needed game time, also Darko Gyabi and other guys. We make a decision from day to day, and in a busy schedule it is important with players who are likely to be involved in the first team games to be a bit more careful, to give them game time in the Under-21s. I think we have to make pragmatical decisions once we are there.

Sheffield Wednesday are the latest club to have off-field difficulties with ownership, as a manager, what difference does it make to have a settled structure at a club where nothing dramatic is going on?

DF: It’s always important to be in the drivers seat as a club and be in control over the contracts and everything. Because nobody is bigger than the club, not one player, not even the star player and yes, obviously, we have great players and it is important to be in control with the contracts on who stays and leaves, this is crucial for stability. Also, everyone more or less from the top to bottom of the club has the same values and philosophy of how we want to work and which values we want to work and play. If you have this consistency the stability is easier to be successful. But yes, it’s professional football and sometimes the wind is a bit in your face and a bit tricky because when a new manager arrives and things are ongoing in the background, you still have to then give some stability to the club and lead the club through stormy times, sometimes you can’t choose. It is important then not to feel sorry for yourself and more like to work step to step to achieve stability. My feeling is that we are on a really good path at the moment and where we are heading as a club. We are also on the same page and not still the finished product but I think our process at the moment is good. Until we can be really happy with ourselves and proud and think we’re in a good position, there’s lots of work behind the scenes. But also in many topics it is needed so there are many areas to improve as a club but my feelings are we are on the right path.