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Leeds United are a ‘different calibre’ from sides like Burnley at the top end of the Championship table, former Derby County star Shaun Barker feels.
Derby played Leeds last weekend where they suffered a 2-0 loss and on Tuesday night they faced Burnley and secured a point from a goalless draw at Turf Moor.
The games gave former Championship star Barker a chance to take an up close look at both Leeds and Burnley, who are battling for automatic promotion.
Barker feels that Paul Warne’s Derby side showed respect to Leeds by dropping a few yards to defend whereas he says they did not do the same against Burnley.
He stressed that in his view Leeds look a different calibre of team to Burnley and the other sides hunting promotion at the top of the table.
“I have said it once and I have said it few times, I thought Leeds were on a different calibre from every other team we have played this season”, Barker said on Rams Review.
“So going into that [game] it was a little bit of respect [from our end], dropping another ten, fifteen yards.
“We did not show that [respect] to Burnley and they did not look anything like the teams that are at the top of the league.”
Scott Parker’s side will look to register three points this weekend when they face Norwich at Carrow Road, while Leeds face Preston North End at Deepdale.