Preston North End v Leeds United: Daniel Farke not looking to make a mountain out of away-day molehill

Their away record is the eighth best in the Championship but win at Preston North End and it will instantly jump to fifth – fourth if Sunderland fail to win at Swansea City – as they catch up a game on the teams above them.

When your home form is the best of anyone's (nothing this weekend is likely to change that), it is more than respectable.

But in a title race so tight, with Sheffield United and the Whites seemingly taking it in turns to go top depending who plays first (on Saturday Leeds kick off two-and-a-half hours earlier than the present leaders), the importance of detail is huge.

Fail to beat a Paul Heckingbottom side who have drawn half this season's league games, and the narrative will be about one win in six matches on their travels. Once it gets in players' heads, talk like that can be self-perpetuating.

And we know it is in players' heads.

"Before the game Josh Guilavogui gave a speech to make sure everyone was really on it and he spoke about the importance of winning an away game," manager Daniel Farke revealed recently.

It worked that day, because Leeds beat Swansea City 4-3, but losing 1-0 at Blackburn Rovers in their only subsequent road trip revived the stories of doom.

Farke is trying not to make a song and dance about it.

"I'm not a big believer in the difference between home and away games because the rules are the same, the pitch is the same, the task is the same, to protect your own goal and score goals," he argues.

"You don't have to travel in the home games, you have all the support and in this league it's an advantage to have home games, no doubt, but our approach is always the same.

"We've had very dominant home performances and very dominant away performances.

"In this league when the home team plays with enthusiasm against Leeds United it's more or less for every home team the game of the season and (in some cases) more or less the only occasion where the stadium is full. Quite often they sell all their tickets and there's excitement around.

"It's the biggest motivation for these teams to play against us.

"Quite often they rise to the occasion so it's difficult for us but when I think of our away record so far, it's four wins, three draws and two losses so it's still overall very good.

"You always have different periods. At the beginning of the season we were praised for being in the best position for our away record, then there were two losses and you have to accept this in the Championship.

"Teams are normally better at home than away, that's quite normal, but I would also label our away record not horrendous, we're still one of the best teams.

"But we go into every game to win it and if this is not possible, to not lose it. This will be the same on Saturday. We'll be respectful because we know it's a difficult task but we also want to win this."

Preston's midweek win at Cardiff City, on the back of eight draws and three defeats, has put a different spin on them, too.

"It's always a difficult place to go,” says Farke of Deepdale. “I've played there so many times in my Championship life and it's always difficult, always competitive games.

"They have a pretty experienced manager at this level in Paul who knows this league inside out. They have good players who always play with fight and competitiveness.

"Before their last game you would have said they draw many games (10) but after an impressive away win you speak about five games unbeaten and lots of confidence.

"We know what is coming. We know in a theoretical way what is important to be successful but the most important thing is you show it on the pitch.”

Likewise, Farke does not want an early kick-off to be used as an excuse. It is an occupational hazard when Leeds are in the Championship, especially in this season's bonanza of televised games which sometimes makes it feel like the only time the Sky Sports darlings cannot play is 3pm on Saturday.

"The difference between late and early kick-offs makes it very difficult," admits Farke, whose players were live on TV at home to Middlesbrough at 8pm on Tuesday.

"It's not like the game just starts at 12.30pm, the nutrition has to be hours before the game, pretty early. It's not like they wake up and can have coffee, eggs and bacon.

"Pretty early in the morning they have to eat stuff you wouldn't normally do.

"But I also don't want anyone feeling sorry for the players, they live a privileged life, earning lots of money and are allowed to represent Leeds United so no one needs to have any sympathy for them.

"We have to be on it and it's never that easy in early kick-offs. They also make life difficult for our supporters because they have to travel early but it is what it is, we have to adapt to it and we're used to it.

"It's also possible to deliver good performance at 12.30."