Mens

Junior Firpo: We have to be focused

Defender looks ahead to Cardiff clash.

Junior Firpo training 2

Leeds United will be keen to bounce back from defeat last time out as they travel to South Wales to face Cardiff City on Saturday.

After victories over Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City before the international break, the Whites were narrowly beaten by Burnley last weekend at Elland Road.

Ahead of the trip to the Welsh capital, Junior Firpo believes the squad are ready to get back to winning ways.

“The manager says a lot of times, don’t get too happy when you win games and don’t get too nervous or too sad when you lose games,” the defender told LUTV.

“We know it was an important game against a direct rival, but I think everyone who saw the game saw that we were the better team.

“We were dominant through the whole game, but we didn’t take our chances. They took the only one, basically, that they had. So that is football sometimes, you know. It’s sad, but we just have to bounce back and try to win the next three points.

“The manager gave us a speech and he brought up some stats that I think are the reality. I think we are doing the right things. We are on the right track. Obviously, we didn’t have the start that everyone wants. We didn’t want to have this start, but they are about fine margins.

“I think we were in a much stronger position than we were last season. We are playing good football, even if we lost important players, but we brought also good quality players. I think they will grow also into the group in the next weeks.

“It is important to leave them time to adapt to the culture, to the football. I needed time myself in the past, so it is really important to have a manager that is calm in every moment and for sure will help them a lot in this. The group is really good. I think the tools to play football, we all have it.”

With the additions of Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon, alongside the likes of Willy Gnonto, Dan James and Brenden Aaronson, Daniel Farke has a number of options to deploy alongside Firpo down the left flank.

“The all have different styles of play,” continued the Dominican Republic international. “I think we are doing pretty good with Manor. You can play easily with him because he is a really good footballer and his understanding of football is also really, really high.

“I also say a lot of times, the manager gave me that freedom that I like to play with and obviously I think it is getting the best out of myself, especially attacking, whereas obviously I am still a defender. I still try to do my job as best as possible.

“I think we showed that last season in a spell where we barely conceded goals. And I think this season as well, we are showing it. We are a good team defending.

“I expect a pretty tight game, a difficult game. I think we have to start really good because they will probably want to start quick and fast in the game and they will come with everything because it is a team under pressure. When a team is under pressure, it is quite risky because you never know what is going to happen.

“So, I think we just have to start really focused and try to do what we do. Be good in possession, don’t lose too many balls because if not they will grow into the game and they will be dangerous on the counter-attack for sure.”

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