Leeds United's Daniel Farke up against man he outwitted while attacker seeks awards double
Leeds United are in with a chance of an award double thanks to a perfect month and a forward's purple patch.
Daniel Farke is up against one of the managers he outwitted for February's Championship Manager of the Month award, while his red-hot winger Daniel James has been shortlisted for the Player of the Month prize.
Farke repeated his February 2024 trick of winning all five league games in the month of February as the Whites ran riot, scoring 18 goals and conceding just twice. Leeds followed up a 7-0 rout of Cardiff City with a comfortable 2-0 win at Coventry City that could easily have matched the previous outing's scoreline. A 4-0 win at Watford kept the free-scoring momentum going before Leeds showed another side to them, winning with late, late goals against both Sunderland and Sheffield United. Though the Cardiff game was memorable for how ruthless Leeds were scoring seven at Elland Road for the first time since 1972, the drama of the victories over a pair of promotion rivals were far more important.
Leeds boasted a total of 10 different goalscorers during the month, from all over the pitch, while Illan Meslier and his defence celebrated three clean sheets.
Farke has been shortlisted alongside Coventry boss Frank Lampard, who won four of their five games in Feburary, Portsmouth's John Mousinho who took 10 points in the month and Scott Parker, whose Burnley side kept five clean sheets, scored eight times and earned 11 points.
James, meanwhile, helped himself to three goals in February and contributed four assists. The Welsh international also won his side a penalty to continue what has been another impressive campaign in the second tier. James now has 10 goals and nine assists and is just one goal contribution shy of last season's tally.
Who is in the running for Championship Player of the Month for February?
The Leeds man's competition for the Player of the Month award comes from Plymouth Argyle striker Ryan Hardie, who scored four goals, Portsmouth man Josh Murphy who added four assists to his strike against QPR, and Josh Sargent of Norwich City who got five of his club's seven goals in the month.
Winners of the EFL's monthly awards will be announced on Friday morning. Farke has won the award four times previously, including this season when his unbeaten December was recognised by the EFL's panel.
Since February Leeds have opened March with a 1-1 draw at home to West Brom to maintain an unbeaten streak that now runs to 17 games in the Championship. They travel to Portsmouth on Sunday for an early kick-off hoping to make that 18 games.