OPPOSITION VIEW: LEEDS

Now all the Christmas dinners and beers have been consumed we’re right back in the swing of things with the football as we host Leeds on the 28^th. We spoke with Stuart Rayner from the Yorkshire Post to see how one of our fellow promoted sides are getting on.

16th in the League for Christmas. You'd have taken that at the start of the season right?

I definitely would. When Big Sam was Sunderland manager he always used to preach more points than games played, and apart from a couple of weeks in November, Leeds have always been on at least a point a game, and above the dreaded dotted line.

But Leeds have a demanding fanbase and some have got fidgety at times. That is mainly the fault of your lot for raising the bar of what is possible for a newly-promoted side way above what the dismal intake of the last two seasons did.

Much like Sunderland, Leeds also had a busy summer transfer window. Who has been their best signing so far?

Leeds put a high premium on physicality, with almost every signing over six foot tall. Sean Longstaff, who won't play again this year, and Anton Stach have really beefed up the midfield but the man of the moment is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with six goals in his last five games. Leeds have mainly gone to a 3-5-2 formation lately and having a strike partner has really helped him.

Leeds boast a strong home record but how are they away from home?

Ropey, but showing signs of improvement. They won at Wolves but that barely counts, does it? The away form was becoming a bit of a concern but they gave Man City a fright, Phil Foden's stoppage-time goal seeing them off 3-2, then became only the third team this season to take points at Brentford in a 1-1 draw they ought to have won.

There were some rumours flying around about Daniel Farke's position being in jeopardy, what's the fan opinion on Farke? Farke in or Farke out?

That was before Man City (lost 3-2), Chelsea (won 3-1), Liverpool (3-3), Brentford (1-1) and Crystal Palace (won 4-1) so he's in credit at the moment, but it will come around again.

Even though he won 190 points in two Championship seasons, some Leeds fans have never been sold on Farke - his cautious football, and his slow and formulaic substitutions and stubbornness with regards to selection and tactics (both those have noticeably improved in the last five games). Plus he was never able to keep Norwich City in the Premier League, so there are valid doubts about him, for all the mitigating circumstances there.

It means when results are not there, there is not much to fall back on but the results are there right now.

What have you made of Sunderland's return to life in the top flight?

Hugely impressive, especially at the Stadium of Light, and very good for the Premier League and English football in general. We need at least one newly-promoted team, preferably more, to stay up this season.

I'm surprised how quickly Regis Le Bris has been able to gel things after so many summer singings, and like Leeds, their home form is huge for them.

My fear for the Black Cats has always been how they would fare with half the team in Morocco. The next month will be a big period for them because newly-promoted teams who start well usually tail off in the second half of the season when opponents get more of a handle on them, but they have done a good job of building up a reservoir of confidence and points, so fingers crossed.

Which LUFC player could cause us some damage?

Calvert-Lewin. Also, set pieces were big when the sides last met and Leeds have put a lot more emphasis on them this season.

Alternatively, which Sunderland player has caught your eye the most and worries you?

Clearly Granit Xhaka has been one of the signings of the season for the team of the first half of the Premier League season, so Leeds would probably have liked him to have got suspended for this game. Wilson Isidor's goal threat is always a concern.

What's your score prediction? Who will get the goals?

3-3. Calvert-Lewin, and maybe Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk at set pieces for Leeds, a couple for Isidor and maybe one from Dan Ballard at a corner.

Finally, where do you think both sides will finish this year?

I think Sunderland will get dragged into lower mid-table, but it looks good for them to stay up, which is all that really matters. Leeds I think will be touch and go. They can do it, but I wouldn't put my house on it.