Leeds United head coach Thomas Christiansen admits that although he was aware of the tough nature of the English Championship, it still came as a shock.
Christiansen had only managed in Cyprus before being appointed the new Leeds boss in the summer after Garry Monk opted to leave Elland Road.
His time in charge has already seen drastic swings in form, but Leeds are still in the playoff hunt and sit in seventh place.
The Championship is known for being a competitive league and though Christiansen was aware of the reputation, he was still surprised by the level of the sides involved.
"I knew [about the tough nature of the division], well, I was warned and I studied it well before the season started", he was quoted as saying by Catalan daily Sport.
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"But the truth is that it is very strong and intense in every game and against every opponent."
The Championship sees each team involved play a minimum of 46 matches, meaning two per week is often the schedule sides must cope with.
And Christiansen thinks given the lengthy season, the most vital thing is for his side not to lose their rhythm.
"This is a long distance race and the most important thing is not to lose that rhythm", he added.
Leeds are next in action this weekend when they host Norwich City at Elland Road.
