Leeds United v Southampton: Daniel Farke insists 'I'm not in depression mode, I'm really positive, optimistic and excited about what lies ahead' — Yorkshire Post 4/5/24

Life is all about perspective.

By Stuart Rayner

If Leeds United blow their first chance of promotion at home to Southampton on Saturday, there will be bitter disappointment in the Elland Road stands.

It was theirs for the taking in the March international break, knowing if they returned as Marcelo Bielsa's team came out of lockdown in 2020, automatic promotion would be theirs, most probably the title too.

Then Leeds were three points off the top and had a cushion – albeit only a point – to Ipswich Town.

On Saturday it is the Tractor Boys in control, knowing they only need a point at home to a Huddersfield Town team realistically relegated – and whose coach Andre Breitenreiter is already leading bitter recriminations – to join Leicester City in next season’s Premier League.

All Leeds can do is win at home to Southampton and hope.

In the summer, though, as player after player escaped, instant promotion felt a world away.

On Thursday manager Daniel Farke – who only a fortnight ago urged Leeds supporters to be "believers" – outed himself as one of the early-season doubters.

"If you had asked me in September if we would have the chance to return back to the Premier League at the first year of asking, I didn't say this in public but internally I would have said no chance because of the situation we were in," he says.

It feels so long ago it is worth recapping.

Rodrigo, Leo Hjelde, Tyler Roberts and Tyler Adams sold, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, Robin Koch, Max Wober, Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Cody Drameh and Sam Greenwood loaned out, Adam Forshaw and Joel Robles released. Few were mourned after a miserable relegation, but only Adams brought in significant money to reinvest in bolstering numbers, never mind quality.

Thank goodness for the much-hated parachute payments, eh?

It took four Championship matches to get a win, two months before they came back to back. Ipswich and Leicester were a point a game better off by the end of September.

What Farke insists he is trying to build is something lasting, and that takes time, even if some steps do come faster than expected.

"It's important not to lose the nerves and to look at the bigger picture," he stresses. "I signed a contract here more or less 11 months ago to create something really special and something this club has not achieved in the last two decades.

"In the last two decades we were allowed to play exactly three seasons in the Premier League – one fantastic season after Marcelo did an unbelievable job, then two difficult seasons. The third season ended in relegation and lots of criticism.

"I signed a long-term contract because my aim is to bring this club, this team, back to the big stage but I don't just want to stay there for one season or one good season, I want to ensure that one day we are an established Premier League side.

"Due to my knowledge of this league (which he won twice as Norwich City manager) I know how difficult it is in the first season after relegation and I knew about our situation. Once I knew all the details it was worse than I thought.

"If after 10 games in September you would have told me we would be after 45 games safe in the play-offs, finishing not worse than third, we would at least have a theoretical chance on the last gameday to make a push into the top two, I would have been a really happy man.

"If you then told me after 45 games we would be on 90 points, I would have said, 'You're kidding!' because 90 points in any other season is enough to be in the automatic promotion positions.

"I understand criticism but I'm not in depression mode, I'm really positive, optimistic and excited about what lies ahead of us.

"It feels great we still have the chance after 45 gamedays to finish in the top two and if we don't, I'm excited then about the play-offs."

Whichever of the top four clubs misses promotion will have players picked off, but the fact Leeds have volunteered to do without most of their experience – eight Championship starts for captain Liam Cooper (only one since Christmas) and Luke Ayling, loaned to Middlesbrough in January – gives hope this is the beginning, not the end of a cycle.

"You know what I'm proud of?" says Farke, never able to establish Norwich in the top division. "We didn't buy success with experience.

"I don't want us to buy players to come up for one season and then we go back down and have a financial problem. If this means we have to be a bit patient, I accept this."

Whatever he says, it will be hard to swallow if Leeds are preparing for the play-offs on Saturday night.