Daniel Farke pre-Southampton press conference – YEP 28/9/23

Daniel Farke pre-Southampton press conference every word on best fans, Patrick Bamford, Mateo Joseph, Ilia Gruev and Helder Costa

Leeds United will return to action with a Saturday lunchtime showdown at Southampton, ahead of which Whites boss Daniel Farke held his pre-match press conference on Thursday.

By Lee Sobot

Farke’s side climbed into the Championship’s top six with last Saturday’s impressive 3-0 victory at home to Watford which represented United’s third league win of the season and first at Elland Road. Seven days later, Leeds will face another of last season’s relegated sides on Saturday lunchtime with a 12.30pm kick-off at Southampton.

Russell Martin’s south coast side began life back in the Championship by taking ten points out of an opening possible 12 but the Saints have since slipped to four consecutive defeats and now find themselves sat in 15th place, three points behind sixth-placed Leeds. Whites boss Farke held his pre-match press conference at Thorp Arch on Thursday afternoon and here is every word that was said from United’s boss.

All set for Farke

1.30pm start. Bamford and Firpo could be the big news here. Both were said to be close. Dallas likely to be making progress but Farke has already admitted it will be a while for him. Spence and Gnonto will still be out, Rodon is back from suspension. Fingers crossed for no new injuries.

Daniel takes his seat.

What a time to play Southampton. How intimidating are Leeds at the moment? How much confidence is there?

“First of all we know that we are in a good shape and good moments of the season because six games unbeaten, four clean sheets in a row, pretty impressive performances and obviously a really good result in the last game and many points in the last games we are happy with at the moment. But we’re also not over the moon so we know that in this league you always have to be aware that the momentum can change and switch pretty pretty quick and for that always have to be on it. So there’s no time to be overconfident and what we speak about the moment is that to play against Southampton, I couldn’t think about a worse moment to play against Southampton because they are there with four losses in a row obviously. It’s tricky at times when you have a busy schedule and you play three games in six or seven days to change things but one thing is for sure is that for such a big club with so high ambitions and also many, many quality players, if you have such a period and then you have a normal week and time on the training pitch, you will have a look under each and every stone and speak about each and every detail that has to be improved and I’m pretty aware that they would have done exactly this. And then the home game against Leeds is a big opportunity because to play against us is more or less always the game of the season for all opponents but then once we are in red hot form like this then you know with one game, you have the chance to win the momentum back and change your whole mood and we are pretty much aware that Southampton will be highly motivated to do exactly this - to use this home game against an opponent with a big reputation like we are in order to win the momentum. They had a really, really good start to the season, it’s a really good side and then it’s the Championship and sometimes you have periods when it’s tricky. But I’m 100 per cent sure that their class will shine at one moment and they will be highly motivated to find their way back in terms of results because I think performance wise they were not far away and we travel there in a pretty respectful mood. But sometimes you also can’t chose when you play your opponents and for that we also accept this challenge and we try to be ready and try to win points even there on the road.”

How ready is Bamford now?

“Well obviously not in his perfect rhythm because he hasn’t played a game since the second last or last pre-season game so obviously not there with 100 per cent. But one week further ahead in team training I think this week also was massively beneficial for him and he’s definitely also topic for the squad on Saturday and I think it’s much improved since two weeks back in training. I think he’s definitely a topic to travel with us.”

Is Bamford mentally in a good place now as well?

“Yes. So there is this old rule that normally a player who is back in training needs as long on the training pitch to be ready with full confidence and full rhythm to be ready to play the same time like he was out so hopefully Patrick is an experienced player and for an offensive player sometimes it is even a bit quicker so hopefully he doesn’t need eight weeks to be back in the mix. Sometimes also an injured player is back and highly motivated to be involved on the pitch and I can see this also in training so Patrick is in a good mood and he knows that he’s really a good player on this level. The last time he played on Championship level he got this club more than 20 goals and promoted so it’s definitely good to have a player of his experience and quality and ability back into the mix.”

On team selection - how big a decision is that for you?

“Yes, it’s good and we need this competition and also like a few players got a little bit of a rest because it was the third game within six days but also the lads who came in used that chance in order to impress in competition. It’s always about obviously to use your chance and the quality of the performances. But it’s also good that you can react on different tactical necessities because for example, all my centre backs are a bit different in a way, the same on the full back positions, the same with our offensive players. I much prefer the situation right now in comparison to what’s happened a few weeks ago and sometimes it’s not the easiest part that you have to disappoint sometimes a player but right now we’re also heading into a busy week with three games within seven days and for that we need all our players from the squad and I am happy that we have many of them available.”

On Mateo Joseph - is he getting there? Is he becoming very much part of your plans?

“Yes, absolutely. So I was pretty impressed and pretty happy with him in pre-season. He had great games, also behind closed doors in the friendly against Barnsley he was excellent but also all the other friendlies. Sadly he had this long term injury and as a young player who is just on the way into the first team football it’s never easy if you miss such a big part and you are out for more or less two months and you then need a little bit longer to be back in shape. Obviously for him it’s also not that easy because you can’t give just game time away in order to bring him back from this confidence level and in this rhythm. But on the training pitch he looks really sharp and we are also thinking perhaps of giving him some minutes perhaps also whenever possible in the under 21s to give him a bit of feeling for the positioning but also the feeling for a normal game but once he is capable to impress that is also a chance to be selected for the traveling squad like he was for example for the last game and we obviously we also had a few injury concerns in the last game with Willy Gnonto and also Patrick was not one hundred per cent available. For that, we are happy that Mateo was available and I’m quite sure that in the mid and long term future of this club he will play a pretty pretty important role and I’m pleased with him.”

Other injuries

“No, everything is okay so far. Obviously we spoke about that Willy would be out until the next international break. Also, with Junior Firpo, he is also not back in team training so that will mean also after the international break. Willy Gnonto had surgery and quite successfully so he is already on his way to do a lot of rehab work and that’s more or less that. There is Djed Spence as well and he also won’t be involved before the international break and that’s more or less it. No new injuries which is definitely good news.”

You now have other no 9 options, will that help Bamford - to have less external pressure on him perhaps?

“First of all, we are not just here to help Patrick it’s more like the other way round, Patrick is here to help us and we are all unbelievably happy that he is back because he’s a quality player. He’s an experienced player and it is always a good feeling as a player when you are in the dressing room and you head into games and you look to the left and then you see Patrick Bamford next to you - a big name in English football. He didn’t win the cap for England in the lottery anyhow so he’s a quality player and he has proved this for the club, with more than 20 goals he got this club promoted and then sadly he had a difficult spell due to injuries. Especially for an offensive player it’s never easy when you are playing at times but without being in the rhythm because you need confidence. I was perry impressed with him in pre-season, he was excellent in pre-season, he scored goals, and he was sharp in his movement. Obviously then sadly the injury happened but we are right now all happy that he is back and back in team training. He will need obviously a while until he is back at his best but to have him back as an option for us, with his quality to score, quality of linking the play, with his experience and also as a top class teammate, it’s definitely good to have him back and I think he will be absolutely beneficial for us as a group and also will play a quite important part. Patrick is confident and also experienced enough that he doesn’t need our help, his proven goals go on this level especially and for that I am happy to have him back.”

Looking back at the Watford display - did you find things you could have done better?

“We allowed them to have one chance in the 95th minute and so I would have preferred that we didn’t give this chance away and there was also one incident after 2-0 when there was another another good crossing situation to finish the situation often. Obviously we were really really good defensive wise, but it’s always better to give no chances away compared to two so we can do better. And also in terms of possession, I think we did everything and the control, I was pretty pleased with our positioning and decision making on the ball. Also there was a good balance between keeping the ball and also then you had to force a transition moment in order to be there with quick counter attacks. Sometimes the balance could have been even a bit better and also the pass could have been a bit better. Efficiency in the first half - I think we missed a few too many chances in the beginning. So there are always areas for me where we can improve but I also can’t and don’t want to lie anyhow and don’t want to pretend. It was a pretty good performance and take this confidence out of this but we start at nil again at the weekend and three points won’t help us when we face Southampton so we have to be on it again and to deliver at least the same quality of performance in order to give us a chance also to win points in a difficult away game.”

Saturday was like a carnival atmosphere, how does that impact training? How has it been? How has Rutter been?

“It’s always good for the mood and also good for the confidence when you can come back and also analyse the game and to go into training with a smile. It’s always easier than after a difficult result. But if I am honest it just influences more or less the first day because then you’re on it again and you work on your different topics that are important for the next game and you want to have hard work and competition on the pitch and then each and every player is not thinking any more about what happened two or three days ago. It’s more like no, no, I want to win the next training game. I want to be the best in the shooting. I want to be the best in the small sided game. I want to be in this tactical exercise in the best possible executions and if someone is not focused and not concentrated, we as a coaching staff also make sure that they are on it and they’re not thinking about what’s happened three or four days ago because this doesn’t help you anymore. Obviously when you win it is always good for the mood and confidence and much prefer to head into a week with a good result and a good spell like we have at the moment but you also have to make sure that you’re on it again and that we are not loving ourselves and enjoying ourselves too much anyhow. Hard work was also during this week the main topic and will also be the topic until we face Southampton and then we want to be ready.”

How much are you looking forward to facing Russell Martin?

“Not looking too much forward because he’s a really good coach and has a great future also in the game and he has done excellent at his former clubs. I know when you face him on the other side you always play against a strong opponent, a well structured team, a well coached team, so for that you more concentrated on the task because you know it will be complicated to play against his side. But on a personal level it is always great because I worked with him at Norwich and he was a great player also, a great human being, a great character, big character. Although we just worked together for a few months, you could always sense when he was in the last days of his playing career that he has all that is necessary in order to be a top class coach one day and this is what he what he’s showing at the moment and I have been 100 per cent sure that he will work one day on the top level and I am pretty impressed that he has found such an impressive way into being a coach in a really, really good way. On a personal level and as a human being.,I’m looking forward to seeing him because he’s a great character and a great guy. But we’re also quite aware that we are facing a well coached team.”

What is the situation with Helder Costa?

“No, nothing has changed, we made it clear at the beginning, Helder’s wish was also to have a move and we have also decided that he is not in our plans and for that everything is professional and everything is clear between all parties and the club is working behind the scenes on a good solution but he is not in our plans because we want a group also where everyone is really fully focused and fully committed. Everything has been in a professional way and no complaints about it. Helder had a great career here in English football and is also a really great guy. It’s always good to see him but he won’t be involved.”

Might there be tension at Southampton in the crowd that you can play on?

“First of all, for me, it’s not the question of ‘if they bounce back’, it’s more like the question when and we want to make sure that it’s not at this weekend because they will be highly motivated to use this chance and I am also 100 per cent sure that the crowd will be there, especially against Leeds United. They will back them, especially the beginning of the game and then give everything because everyone there is also highly motivated to change the momentum. But I’m also not too interested in order to play psychological games or to use their crowd. What I would want to use is more or less our support. We have the best support in our country. I’m not thinking too much about the opponent’s supporters what they will do and how they will act, it’s more like I know we need to get our supporters behind ourselves and I’m also looking forward to having the traveling support again and also like we create in our stadium an atmosphere that we had a few days ago. It’s so helpful and so beneficial also for our ambitious and we have had also great away games when I think for example about Millwall where we had our traveling away supporters like a wall behind us and this is also what we need. It’s more like we want to make our supporters happy, we need their backing and I am more concentrated on this.”

What did you prioritise when it came to getting a strong defence here?

“Football is also a complex game and you know that my ambition is always to attack, to be good in possession, to create many chances, to score many goals. It’s not just my reputation, it’s really my DNA because I think you should play the game exactly in this manner. We are there to entertain our supporters and the game should be played in this way. But in order to do this, you need to focus and to base always on solid defending this was always my thought. I think even in Norwich in my first year. I think we still are holding the record for for most clean sheets in a row in the whole history of Norwich City and although my reputation was always like as an attacking coach and concentrating on possession, one of my main topics is also like to stablise the defence and there are always different ways. I always spoke also about to improve our possession because once you’re in possession, the good thing is you can’t conceded and you also give a bit of relief for the defensive players and the better you are in possession then it’s like the more energy you have also when it comes to defending in order to defend your own goal because if you just play against the ball then there also the moment where you are spot on. I think to be good in possession and also to have a good structure in possession, to be there already in a good positioning already once you lose the ball to control the opponent’s counters - this was one of my main focuses. Then you also talk about and work on defending set pieces, you work on how you want to defend crosses, how you want to defend if your opponent attacks through the middle of the pack so it can be complex work but one of the key areas was definitely also like to improve our possession but also the structure and possession in order to be not open when we lose the ball. It’s a pretty complex and technical topic. Yes, we are on a good path but we have to make sure that each and every day we are really on it and we don’t give two or three per cent less because this two or three per cent could mean the world in football. It’s pretty pleasing at the moment but it’s also important to keep going.”

On Gruev - will he need a bit of adaptation time?

“I think for each and every player it is something different when you come to the motherland of football because our approach here, our physicality in this league is also second to none so the speed, the pace of the game, also the physicality, it’s always new for players to come from Germany, from France or Spain and so for that it’s always normal that you need also a bit of time. In terms of language, he’s quite fluid in English, it’s quite impressive, but do you understand really each and every football phrase and the technical terms. It always takes a while and he’s a top player. I am pretty pleased with him. He had many games at Bundesliga level, he is a regular starter for the Bulgaria national team. He’s a top player and it’s no coincidence that he was also involved at least in the final minutes of the last game. But also in his position. Ethan Ampadu is there with impressive performances, Archie Gray, also Glen Kamara right now with impressive performances. It’s not like an urgent case, an emergency case where we are urged too to throw him into to the mix. So I much prefer this situation that step by step can be integrated but I know already right now whenever I need him and he’s always ready to go and he’s a top class guy, humble guy. Pretty, pretty grateful also that he works for such a great club. He is impressive to me for such a young guy so with Ilia I am more than happy.”