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“We are not here for warm words or praise,” he said. Daniel FarkeBy the time he left the Etihad Stadium, he might not have found them, it was a little warm pep guardiolaThere was a delay in reaching the media theater due to the FARC press conference running long. and that was before Manchester City The manager realized that this was because his leeds the opposition was alleging Gianluigi Donnarumma Of Sportsmanship to create a soccer timeout.
However, by then, Farke was getting praise, if not points. Beat Leeds 3-2. This left Farke with seven defeats out of eight, three points out of a possible 24. And yet, perhaps perversely, his position seemed strong. A type of endorsement was made, which was an example of his skill.
At half-time, there was a temptation to wonder whether the German was entering his final weeks as Leeds manager. His team was trailing 2-0 and heading towards defeat. With Chelsea and Liverpool next, it looked to be a fixture list to end a promotion specialist who has never put a team in Premier LeagueYet while Phil Foden’s injury-time decider delivered Leeds’ latest loss, a turnaround in a game that offered fresh optimism Farke could have a similar impact on his team’s season,
It may be an exaggeration to say that Farke saved his job with the replacement; Leeds says he never faced any such threat. But with their performance likely to be nine defeats out of 10, their manager could be at risk.
And yet there was something revelatory about the change that unsettled the city. Farke’s image may be unwanted as a manager who belongs to no-man’s land: too good for the Championship, not too good for the Premier League. But he also has a reputation as a manager whose teams play a 4-2-3-1 formation, whose Norwich became dominant in the top flight.
And then Farke called out his inner Alf Ramsey, abandoning his wingers and gaping at the Etihad. Leeds emerged with two strikers, both of whom scored. They prospered with a strong brand of football. “We went a little more straight,” said Dominic Calvert-LewinWho came forward to score and win the penalty. “I think with me and Lucas [Nmecha] First, it provided a different physical outlet for the team. We played forward and played with confidence – we threatened their backline and didn’t give them too much respect.
If Leeds’ summer recruitment campaign was a long story, Farke was looking for players on a large scale, almost as an antidote to his Norwich days, six-foot Nimecha and Calvert-Lewin arrived with equally massive statistics. At the start of the season, Leeds were struggling to score goals: they now have four goals from center forwards in their last three games, although very few from wingers.
Some criticisms are being addressed, but not all. Leeds have conceded 11 goals in their last four matches. In Farke’s time in the Premier League spanning three seasons, his teams have played more than two matches each. He averages 0.60 points per game. That’s been relegation form in 11 of 13 outings this season: that’s relegation form and yet, on Saturdays and throughout the campaign, there has almost been more. For example we could see three 90th minute goals for Leeds, winners for Fulham and City, an equalizer for Bournemouth.
“We have been close in a lot of games but ultimately you have to turn those close moments in our favor and that is what you have to do to stay in this division,” said Calvert-Lewin, whose experience of the relegation battle includes scoring the goal that kept Everton up in 2022. Farke notes that the six teams that went up in the two years before Leeds came straight back down; Sunderland, who went up alongside them, have double the points. Yet Leeds could at least make it closer than their six immediate predecessors.
There have been some encouraging signs from Farke’s supersized signing, although the excellent Sean Longstaff has been sidelined for several weeks and the two centre-backs who have joined, Jaka Bijol and Sebastian Bornau, have made only three league starts between them. But Bijoll came on with Calvert-Lewin in a switch to a 3-5-2. It was a sign that Farke may be more flexible than his critics. No, he countered, it was as simple as playing 3-5-2.
“If it were that easy, anyone could become a Premier League manager,” he said. He argued that this was a response to his first-half analysis. He said, “Hopefully I’ll see something at Manchester City; otherwise I’d be the wrong person in this chair.”
As he may be aware, there is debate over whether he is the wrong person in the chair; Or, at least, not quite the right guy. Some thought that Leeds should have been ruthless and sacked him after promotion. Their fate this season could depend on one big decision, and if they get it right.
Could Leeds get an upgrade? And one that will make an immediate impact? The evidence is unclear. But they went down to four managers or caretakers in the 2022–23 season. And the expertise of the manager he has been with this season almost got them a point on Saturday. So far, anyway.