Town winger Wes Burns has dismissed the notion that Leeds are a class apart in the Championship following their 4-3 win at Portman Road six days ago.

The Yorkshire outfit came out on top 4-3 in a see-saw affair to gain what was their first league win of the new season, while the result ended the Blues’ 100 per cent record and saw them knocked off the top of the table.

But when asked if Daniel Farke’s side were a notable step up in standard from their previous three opponents, Sunderland, Stoke and QPR, the Welsh international replied: “Not really, no. Sunderland were, arguably, one of the hardest teams we have faced.

“I know it was the first game of the season when there were nerves and stuff, but they were a top, top team and one of the better teams we have faced in a long time, probably going back to Burnley in the FA Cup last season.

“Leeds have an incredible frontline and they punished us when we made mistakes, but in terms of our all-round game we didn’t think we were out of place. If anything, we felt more in control of the game than it might have felt from the side.

“On another day it’s 5-3 us or it’s 6-0 them – it was one of those mad games where there were chances either end. If we had taken one or two more of them the game would have been totally different.”

Manager Kieran McKenna, while not blind to his side’s obvious frailties, said there were plenty of positives from the pulsating clash with Leeds and he will be looking for three points tomorrow when Cardiff are the visitors to Portman Road.

Burns was asked about the first month of the new campaign and responded: “It has been really positive, I think. At the start of the season, if you had said to us that we would have nine points after four games, I think we would have been delighted with that, especially given the teams we had to play.

“Going away to Sunderland on the opening day, that’s a tough fixture, and we’ve now had Leeds in that spell as well. I would say nine points from four games is a very good, a very positive start.”

Burns is playing his first Championship football in more than seven years, having last performed in the second tier in January 2016 when he came off the bench for Bristol City in a 0-0 home draw with Birmingham and then moved on loan to Fleetwood through to the end of that season.

How has he found the Championship upon his return with Town this season? He said: “It’s exactly how I thought it would be. Obviously, the quality of player is a lot higher and it’s more physical than League One, but we knew what we would be coming up against. It’s a new season and a new challenge, and I think the lads have taken it head-on.

“Back in 2016 I was breaking through at Bristol City. I was a very young lad, 17 or 18, just trying to make my way in the game. I’m 28 now and I know what I can and cannot do, and I’m probably a more all-round player than I was back then.

“Like I said, I know what I’m good at and I know what I’m bad at, so I just try to stick to the things I’m good at.

“Coming into the Championship, we had a few small points to cover – the first game, for example – and then to see where we were at by the time we got to the first international break, which starts this weekend. So, with Cardiff tomorrow we’re not really thinking beyond that to be honest.

“We’ve dealt with the expectation in exactly the same way we did last season. Everyone was talking about Ipswich Town running away with it in League One, not just automatic promotion but there was even talk about 100 points and 100 goals.

“We know that as a squad, a collective, we have always managed it one game to the next, and we don’t get either too high when we’re doing well or too low when things don’t go our way. It’s just more of the same and we’re even better equipped to do it now.

“If anything, I think it has suited us a little bit more than last season, because teams are playing a little bit more open against us.

“We’re not seeing the low block and having to defend on the edge of our box for 90 minutes, the tactics we would get last year, so it is actually helping us in the sense that we can play some more free-flowing football and go toe-to-toe with some of the bigger clubs, which is nice for us.

“We know that a lot of teams commit a lot of bodies forward at their set-piece routines and it gives us an opportunity to score off the back of it, as long as we defend the corners and the wide free-kicks well. We were brilliant at it last year and it gave us a platform to break forward.

“As soon as Walts [Christian Walton] would catch the ball we were off and it was like the Red Arrows running up the field. Obviously, Walts is out injured at the moment, but it’s something that we will continue this season.”

Photo: TWTD

Help added 16:46 - Sep 1 Leeds took their few chances and made good. We did not make the most of ours
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Tractorboy58 added 16:53 - Sep 1 Agreed - we played better football and but for missed chances and goalkeeping errors we should have won - despite their excellent strike force
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GrantOB92 added 17:31 - Sep 1 Helps if you don't spurn 4/5 chances and then we comfortably win
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ArnieM added 22:17 - Sep 1 ….also helps if our defenders can defend balls that come into our box. Never mind we’ll bring in a decent experienced quality CB!
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