Daniel Farke hailed a “top performance” from Leeds as a comfortable 2-0 home win over Derby sent them top of the Championship.
Wales defender Joe Rodon headed in Joe Rothwell’s corner in the 39th minute before Austria international Max Wober, who replaced injured left-back Junior Firpo in the 21st minute, tapped home a low, right-wing cross in the 44th minute.
Those two strikes were both players’ first goals for Leeds and laid the platform for a victory which saw Farke’s men bounce back from last Saturday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat at Blackburn.
Farke said: “I could have asked for a few more goals perhaps, but nevertheless it was a top performance.
“The game after a loss is always difficult, because a loss always does something to your confidence and you could feel it perhaps in the first 10 or 15 minutes when we were a bit hectic with our decision-making on the ball.
“But after that we were all over them and didn’t allow them to have one chance.
“This win was even more comfortable than the score-line and we could and should have scored a few more.
“Overall, it was a pretty dominant performance and to deliver this, after a bit of an unlucky loss for us at Blackburn, makes me pretty happy and just gives confidence to the lads.”
The only negative for Farke was a hamstring injury which saw Firpo forced off.
He looks certain to miss Tuesday’s visit of Middlesbrough and Farke added: “Junior was a hamstring problem, so it’s pretty fair to say that he will probably miss the game on Tuesday.
“We will have to see how long he will be out, but Max came in and delivered an excellent performance.”
For Paul Warne’s Rams, this latest setback marked a third straight defeat and left them with just one win in their last 10 Championship games.
The Derby boss admitted there was a major gulf in class between Leeds and his struggling side.
Warne said: “I’m not surprised who won the game. I thought we frustrated them pretty well for 30 minutes.
“When you come to Elland Road, you have to be resolute, but then we conceded a goal.
“To then concede again straight after was a big blow because going in at half-time 2-0 down made it a different game.
“I can’t really fault the lads for effort, but I have to give massive credit to Leeds – they pressed the living daylights out of us.
“That’s why they’re one of the top teams in this league and their players on the day performed better than we did.”
Warne believes Leeds could take some stopping this season, adding: “Out of all the games we’ve played, that was the most unbalanced game I think we’ve played in.
“Even our fastest players couldn’t get past their defenders, I think it’s fair to say, and that’s the most uncomfortable I’ve felt on the side of the pitch.
“The lads are giving us everything and I can’t criticise them, but fundamentally there was a gulf in class.
“I can’t dispute that, so Leeds are going to be right up there.”
