Norwich City v Leeds United: Daniel Farke on players not personalities, David Wagner and why the Canaries have similarities with Leeds — Yorkshire Post 21/10/23
THE SUBPLOT to Leeds United manager Daniel Farke’s first return to Norwich City on Saturday afternoon is a fascinating one.
By Leon Wobschall
The personal aspect has been talked up with Farke and his
compatriot in David Wagner - the man who he replaced as Borussia Dortmund’s
second-team boss in 2015 - putting their wits against each other in a
Championship match of significance at Carrow Road.
As far as Farke is concerned, the game will not resemble a
‘chess match’ between two impressive German managers who have both produced
second-tier stories to savour in England.
Wagner’s stupendous feats in taking Huddersfield Town to the
Premier League in 2016-17 resonated in this country and back in his homeland.
Similarly, Farke’s two titles at Norwich in 2018-19 and
2020-21 received plenty of deserved kudos.
For Farke, players as opposed to personalities are the only
thing that will matter today.
The Leeds chief, who manages against Wagner for the first
time in England, said: "I don't believe it is a chess game between two
coaches.
"We are there in order to support and help our players.
"For me, the players should always be in the spotlight
and I don't overrate myself and think I have to be in the spotlight or if I
win, I am the better coach. Or if David wins, he is the better coach.
"It's lovely to see him on a personal level as he's a
great guy. Yes, it will be difficult on the touchline as his teams are always
well organised and solid and play with intensity and his side are difficult to
play against.
"But I wouldn't over-rate our duel.
"I am full of respect for David and what he has
achieved, especially at Huddersfield where he did amazing things and brought
them up to the Premier League. But it is also due to the players you want.
"He also worked for Dortmund and went to England and
got Huddersfield promoted and I had a similar way. But our approach and way of
football is different in some ways.”Geographically, Norwich and Leeds may be
over 200 miles apart, but that has not stopped a mini rivalry developing since
their days in the third tier in the late noughties.
Both were promoted in the 2009-10 season with the Canaries
lifting silverware by way of the League One title.
The following season, both were pushing to reach the top
flight. As they were in 18-19, when Norwich, then managed by Farke, won the
division, while Leeds bowed out in the play-offs.
In the here and now, both have designs upon returning to the
big time, buttressed by healthy starts to the current campaign.
Today, Farke returns to Carrow Road for the first time since
his sacking in November 2021. Ironically, his last home match in charge was
against his current one in Leeds, who triumphed 2-1 in a Premier League fixture
on October 31.
While no-one would argue against Leeds’s status in English
football as being a historically bigger name than Norwich, Farke says that they
are certain similarities.
Like Leeds, Norwich are a club who draw support from not just
a city, but across a wider region.
There is also a fanaticism among those followers, something
that gives short shrift to the perception that East Anglia is a footballing
backwater for those professionals who have sampled it.
Farke continued: "Obviously, the clubs (Norwich and
Leeds) are different and you cannot compare them.
"But in this way (in terms of fanatical supporters),
there are definite similarities. It (Norwich) is also a one-club city and the
whole region is just concentrated and focused.
"It's also very, very emotional there in terms of
defending your 'one city' club.
"This is quite similar (to Leeds)."
