When we went up last time, I wasn’t too worried – at least, not as worried as I am this time around. After-all, in Marcelo Bielsa, we had someone who was proven in the top European competitions – especially if you factor in his time at Athletic Bilbao.
As it is becoming likelier by the week that we will go up this season, probably as Championship winners, I am a bit concerned about how Daniel Farke can perform with us in the Premier League. Even though we’ve played the best football in the league this season, bar none and the way he has got the best out of the players.
Track Record Not Great
My concern stems from how Farke performed in the Premier League last time with Norwich City. A club that, despite a great season in the Championship – going up as winners, really struggled in the top flight.
During his first stint, he won just five matches and lost 27 which really doesn’t fill me with confidence. Granted, the Canaries bounced straight back up, though he lasted just 11 matches, winning just one until he was dismissed.
Yes, Norwich aren’t us, not as big as an attraction to the better players, a smaller fanbase and with less to spend, all factors which would, no doubt have been contributory factors as to why they went down.
Can He Attract The Players?
Another worry for me is that any player looking at potentially joining us in the Premier League will look at Farke and think that his track record in the English top flight isn’t great, nor is his ability at getting the best out of players at the highest level, which could mean we miss out on possible, available talent.
Granted, at Championship level he has proven himself and potentially found his niche there, though can this instil confidence in any new arrivals, better in quality than what we have already?
In Bielsa we had a name with a great reputation – someone who players didn’t really need to think twice about, especially because of the testimonials he had from so many players that had played under him, including current managers such as Pep Guardiola. For me, this was a great selling point that we had and, certainly in our first transfer window, before our first season back in the Prem, it worked wonders for us. With Farke, I’m really not sure.
Tactical Astuteness
This is where Bielsa got found out in his second season. After great success in our first campaign back, playing and surprising teams with attacking football, this backfired in our second term as they were ready and knew how to handle us.
Bielsa refused to adapt and set up defensively for some games and I’m not sure whether Farke will be the same. While I love watching us playing attractive football, it is unlikely that we are going to have the players to do this in every game, up against better and cleverer defenders, which means that Farke will need to adapt. The question is, will he?
Over the years, we’ve seen teams get promoted and deploy ‘secret’ weapons against their opponents to get results. One that sticks out for me and, I’m sure, many of you, is Rory Delap with Stoke City, with manager Tony Pulis using his ability from a throw-in to launch it into the box. I seem to remember watching Delap get an assist every week because of this.
I’m not saying we need exactly that, but definitely against some teams, we are going to have to be able to mix it up and change things. I just hope that Farke has realised that.
Can He Keep The Fans Onside?
We have seen all too often when things haven’t been going well with managers (not just at Leeds), how quickly the crowd can turn. Come on, anyone who is expecting us to win every game – well, that’s unrealistic. But, I think what all Leeds fans want to see is players giving their all and at least trying to have a go.
If we begin to lose games consistently and it seems that the players are no longer trying, it could result in Farke losing the confidence of the fans, who may turn against the team and this doesn’t really do anyone at the football club any good. It could also mean at this point, that he has lost the dressing room.
Obviously, he has worked wonders with us in the Championship – the team wants to play for him, which for me suggests his man-management skills are pretty good. But, we’ve seen how brutal the Premier League is. A run of bad results can negatively affect confidence – it is Farke’s job to make sure this doesn’t happen. If it does, then I think the fans will be all too vocal and, the board is sure to take action.
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