Leeds United v Crystal Palace: Daniel Farke not fooled by where Eagles fly
Leeds United v Crystal Palace Leeds United are on the crest of a wave at the moment, unbeaten and third in the Premier League. Sunday's visitors Crystal Palace are two points above the relegation zone.
The beauty of league tables is they iron out the slings and arrows of fortune and the vagaries of the fixture list which can make teams feel better or worse off than they actually are. But not after just four matches.
The confidence at Elland Road comes from taking the table back to the start of December. Drag it over 29 games, and they are fifth.
So dominant is the Premier League at the moment, that would more than likely mean Champions League qualification if they can just stay on that trajectory until May. Even if not, it is a sign a team in only its second season in the division is in rude health.
But manager Daniel Farke would not be doing his job properly if he allowed his players to take the Eagles lightly.
Last season's Conference League champions are in a false position, he believes – a better squad than last season's, whatever the table says.
With a three-week international break starting once the final whistle blows at Elland Road, there is a long time to stew on or luxuriate in their position when the music stops.
"To stay unbeaten would be necessary and we want to win as many points as possible," says Farke, whose team have only been outperformed by Arsenal and Manchester City in these early stages. "But we're also fully aware that we face a really strong side.
"I can't speak with more respect about them. They've done exceptionally well, especially winning titles in the last seasons under Oliver Glasner (the FA Cup, then Conference League).
"They did lots of good business in the transfer market in the summer. I think they're even stronger than last season.
"So far in Europe flawless, so far in the League Cup flawless. If you rate their Premier League season they're on three points. But if you go a bit into their performances, it's a joke that they didn't win away at Everton (a 2-0 opening-day defeat), they've missed so many chances and hit the post so often.
"Normally they should have won this game and also last gameday against Ipswich (a 3-2 loss). They got a red card very early in the game (for defender Axel Disasi) and then lost it more or less in the last stages.
"They could easily sit there on at least seven or nine points and there would be the same hype like around us.
"I'm very respectful and I'm pretty sure they will play a really good season.
"With a new manager (Pierre Sage) sometimes it needs a bit of time till everything settles but they play very similar processes to last season. So for that you can't see any need to adapt to new demands or new challenges or new processes.
"I expect a very difficult game and we need to be at the top of our game to win any points."
Not that Farke is in any mood to hide how well his team has started.
"It's no coincidence any more," he says, "not just a good period. It's quality we're delivering.
"Everyone can be proud of this and take lots of confidence but in this league nothing is taken for granted. The momentum can change really quickly.
"An unlucky red card, hitting a post a few times and missing an unbelievable amount of chances leads to fewer points (for Palace) and the momentum is not there that much at Premier League level.
"If you think we have already achieved and we can be big time, it's a first step to failure. We won't be successful at all.
"The table at the moment is not important. What is important that we are only on eight points after four gamedays. This is quite good.
"But eight points won't be enough to achieve what we want to achieve. The first step is always like make sure that we win 40 points as quickly as possible
"If we've done it and there are still a few games left and there's more to come, we would definitely take this.
"But my only aim and my only focus is to make sure that we win the 40 points to play a second solid season at Premier League level.”
For the first time, September and October's international breaks have been combined into one three-week window, as opposed to two two-week ones.
"It's not really a topic I've thought much about and I can tell you perhaps after we've experienced this," said Farke when asked his opinion of how it might work for his club in the coming weeks.
"It depends what shape the players come back in, if they're coming back in a good mood or in a bad mood, if they come back injured or not injured, what happens with the players who stay here.
"I've learned not to complain too much about the schedule or about the circumstances. I've learned to adapt and let other people decide about the schedule."
This most dramatic of football clubs is feeling the benefit of a no-dramas manager.