Leeds United's revival is down to following game plan

Fresh from marking his first start for Leeds United with a rare goal, the 28-year-old Paris-born midfielder was hoping to sort out a permanent place to live as soon as possible.

Enquiries were made to various estate agents and Diagouraga liked the look of one property in particular only to be knocked back when he asked for a viewing.

“Can’t view a property,” explained the midfielder to much subsequent amusement from his 13,500 followers on Twitter. “The landlord doesn’t want footballers. Must be worrying about my five- and three-year-olds having wild parties.”

Diagouraga can laugh about it himself now, even if the search for a suitable home goes on, and that is down to how quickly the midfielder has settled in Yorkshire after five and a half years playing and living in London.

“That was a bit bizarre,” he said when asked about his first taste of house-hunting within the Broad Acres. “It wasn’t what I expected and it doesn’t help. I am still looking now, but it is something I will get sorted. Hopefully, I am close.

“But I feel nice and settled up here, I feel happy, and all I care about is winning matches. The other things take care of themselves. Everyone here seems very friendly.”

His early goal in Leeds colours, at Bolton in the FA Cup, was his first for three years and undoubtedly helped Diagouraga settle quicker than most on swapping the capital for Yorkshire.

His relaxed demeanour at Thorp Arch yesterday also had a lot to do with how United have fared recently. Since the mess that was the first half at Brighton & Hove Albion on Leap Day, Steve Evans’s side have taken a maximum nine points from three outings. That two of those were away from Elland Road has added to the feelgood factor that tomorrow should help Leeds register their biggest crowd of the season for the derby visit of Huddersfield Town.

Around 28,000 fans – including 2,000 or so visitors – are expected, an impressive turnout considering United, for all the morale-boosting effect of the recent trio of wins, have little to play for but pride in the coming weeks.

Evans’s men are 12 points adrift of the top six in 13th place, which considering the West Yorkshire side have just 10 games to go suggests another mid-table finish beckons despite much excited talk on social media from supporters that a push for the top six is still possible.

“I am not going to start talking about what happens if we beat Huddersfield,” said United’s head coach when asked about the possibility of a late dash up the table.

“First and foremost, we have to beat them. Then, we have a break and some of the boys go off on international duty.

“Some will do some work here and then we reassemble for another very tough test down at Rotherham (on April 2).

“We can’t control another result in the country, outside of Elland Road. All we can do is focus on ourselves, get three points, have a look at it all at five o’clock and see where it all lands.

“Every game in the Championship is keenly contested, the finest of margins, and Huddersfield will prove no different.

“We said before Bolton that it was a must-win game. Then, with Cardiff and Blackburn, we said, ‘Let’s treat it one game at a time’. It meant we put all our effort and concentration into that. It’s what we will do against Huddersfield.”

Even if mid-table does, indeed, prove to be Leeds’s fate, thanks to the recent upturn in form and the manner in which Evans has hit upon a good balance in midfield, with Diagouraga and loanee Liam Bridcutt having dove-tailed nicely, there is a sense that better times could well be just around the corner.

“If you have a look at the last few games,” said Diagouraga, “you can see that we are not playing off the cuff. We have got a game plan and we are executing it well.

“Blackburn is up there (as one of the club’s better performances this season). Cardiff was good (when Leeds won 2-0) and we have had a few others.

“But I feel like we can get better and better.”

United’s victories at Cardiff and Blackburn were achieved by playing on the break.

Tomorrow, however, is likely to be different again, with the onus being on Leeds, as the home side, to set the tempo against the gegenpressing system favoured by Huddersfield’s head coach David Wagner.

“Cardiff and Blackburn have been in good form so it was always going to be backs against the wall at times,” added Diagouraga. “But when we had the ball, we countered very well.

“I think the team is gelling together now. It is confidence.

“When you win one game, you win two or three. Everyone is confident now. Everyone wants the next game to come around so we can go again.”