Daniel Farke not 'dancing on tables' over Leeds United man display or praising teen too early - YEP 28/7/23

-


Daniel Farke is willing to give youth its head at Leeds United but he's not getting carried away with pre-season performances of Ian Poveda and Archie Gray.

By Graham Smyth

The pair caught the eye as second half substitutes against Nottingham Forest in Thursday night's friendly. Poveda was a livewire out wide and then in the centre, scoring a goal to cap an entertaining performance. Gray followed up a solid showing against Monaco by playing a part in Poveda's goal and displaying his ability to beat defenders with the ball.

Poveda's time at Leeds appeared to have come to an end when he was first farmed out on loan to Blackburn in 2021, despite Victor Orta's insistence that the winger would come back and play a part. The summer of 2022 saw him sent away again, this time to Blackpool where he had a loan spell with ups and downs.

Yet while Poveda was an unused substitute against Monaco, his cameos against Manchester United and Forest have been enough to change the narrative around him, at least outside the Leeds camp. At Thorp Arch, Farke is pleased with what he's seen from the 23-year-old, he's just not throwing praise around with reckless abandon.

"It's totally up to the players that they make the step through the door," he said after the 2-0 win over Forest. "It's difficult to prove it. It's not just after one or two good friendlies that I'm here dancing on the tables because of his performance.

"He has to keep going. He has to work unbelievably hard. I'm pleased with his development so far and that's the reason why he gets some gametime and some chances but after one or two good games I'm not willing to sing a big song of praise about him, so he has to keep going."

Gray, still six years Poveda's junior, was expected to make a senior breakthrough last season under Jesse Marsch, who predicted in pre-season that the teenager would play in the Premier League.

Illness, injuries, an accident at home and Leeds' relegation battle denied the club's first family from celebrating a new generation of Elland Road representation. But Gray is still right there on the doorstep and his proximity to the first team makes a league debut a distinct possibility. Farke has made clear he still needs midfield reinforcements in the transfer market but he likes what he sees in Gray.

"I'm not about age, if a 17 or 18-year-old guy is ready then he plays that's as simple as that, but if you want to be ambitious, you need also a proper core group of players," said the German.

"With Archie I'm pleased with him so far. He's in a really good shape. He's physically in a good condition. He has shown some really good performances in pre-season but I've also seen what he has to improve, where he has to improve.

"What I like about him is he's willing to learn, he's greedy to get input and adapt to the stuff that we give him. He's on a good path but it's pre-season so far, not one proper game is played so I'm not willing to praise him too early."

Popular posts from this blog

The huge initial fee Leeds are set to receive for Crysencio Summerville’s move to West Ham — Leeds United News 31/7/24

-
Will Butcher West Ham United are closing in on a deal to sign Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United, and Ben Jacobs has shared how much Leeds will receive for the Dutchman. The 22-year-old has been strongly linked with the Elland Road exit door all summer and was targeted as the one big sale Leeds needed to make before the Profit & Sustainability Rules deadline this month. But instead, Leeds sold Archie Gray for £40m to Tottenham. Leeds have since sold five more players in the form of Diego Llorente, Marc Roca, Kris Klaesson and Charlie Cresswell – raking in around £60m in total. But more exits were always likely and Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday afternoon that West Ham had agreed personal terms with Summerville, and talks for a fee were ongoing with the Yorkshire side. Now, the story has moved on with multiple sources claiming a deal is done between Leeds and Angus Kinnear’s old club. The Dutchman is expected to sign a five-year at the London Stadium, until Jun...
Read more

Leeds United board break silence after transfer window with statement on upcoming Elland Road development — YEP 2/9/24

-
By Joe Donnohue Leeds United have confirmed supporters' commemorative stones at Elland Road's Centenary Square will be replaced free of charge in a bid to improve their longevity. Beginning next month, Leeds supporters' personalised stones will be replaced with exact replicas, courtesy of a new company, to ensure of a 'much better quality' installation. The work is expected to take around two months to complete. An official club statement confirmed 'three larger stones dedicated to former managers Don Revie, Howard Wilkinson and Marcelo Bielsa' will also be installed, 'similar to those located in Bremner Square', while additional space for supporters to purchase new stones has also been factored into the project. “The club have taken on board recent feedback from supporters on the stones at Centenary Square, and we are really happy that we can now announce that all of the stones will be replaced," chief executive Angus Kinnear confirmed,...
Read more

Leeds United transfer state of play as Whites knock back low bid and assert wing pair stance — YEP 3/7/24

-
By Graham Smyth Leeds United are not actively looking to cash in on Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto and believe any further outgoing transfer business will be done on their terms. The Whites, who sold Archie Gray to Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday for £40m, expect that there will be continued interest in wing pair Summerville and Gnonto as the summer transfer window progresses. Summerville has been a target for Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion but their interest has not yet materialised into a bid. The Albion did, however, send a £30m proposal for Georginio Rutter, which Elland Road chiefs rejected. Rutter is not expected to try and force an exit this summer and appears settled at Leeds after a far more positive second season in English football. The sale of Gray has helped put Leeds into a position where they do not need to sell star players and can dictate any moves that do happen. Club sources say they are not actively looking to sell the likes of Summerville o...
Read more