Graham Smyth outlines 49ers stance on Daniel Farke as Leeds United and Norwich City 'evidence' addressed — YEP 20/9/24
By Kyle Newbould
There is some early pressure on the Leeds United manager
among sections of the fanbase.
Daniel Farke is under early pressure to get results at Leeds
United but the YEP’s chief football writer Graham Smyth doesn’t believe his
future is under immediate risk.
Leeds suffered their first defeat of the season at home to
Burnley last weekend as regular problems continued to surface, with wasteful
finishing and unforced errors leaving them behind before a toothless
second-half showing. That result leaves the Whites ninth going into this
weekend’s trip to Cardiff City and two wins from five is evidence of another
frustratingly slow start.
It is not the first tough patch Leeds have gone through
under Farke, however, and the Leeds boss has had the full support of 49ers
Enterprises, with no suggestions that position has changed. And while there
will likely be concern over another below-par opening period, Smyth doesn’t
expect a change in the dugout any time soon.
“I think there is a bit of concern there, but I don’t think
it's hysteria and I certainly don't think the 49ers will be considering his
position,” Smyth told the YEP’s Inside Elland Road podcast. “I’ve seen people
suggest that if they lose to Cardiff, he should go.
“I would ask people to look at the evidence of what Farke
can do in this division, both for Norwich and Leeds last season, and think if
there’s a more natural appointment than Farke. When he was appointed, was
anyone saying ‘no, he's not the one, there’s a better one out there’? I don't
think anyone was.
“Also, it costs a lot of money. It costs a lot of money to
pay off a manager which all goes towards PSR. then you have to bring in a new
manager and the expenditure of bringing in new staff.”
Farke and those above him at Leeds have often pointed
towards last season’s 90-point tally as evidence of his managerial clout and
while that argument is losing strength, it stands to reason that promotion
would have been achieved in just about every other Championship campaign.
Anything close to that number come May will likely trigger a return to the
Premier League.
Saturday’s trip to Cardiff offers up a great chance to renew
optimism in West Yorkshire, while re-asserting some faith in Farke’s stature
among fans. But dropped points will be criticised against the team propping up
the table with no wins in five and just one goal scored.
