Daniel Farke pre-Coventry City press conference — YEP 15/12/23

Daniel Farke pre-Coventry City press conference every word on Leeds United injury return, Charlie Cresswell, Ethan Ampadu and changes stance

Leeds United will complete another busy week with Saturday’s Championship hosting of Coventry City, ahead of which Whites boss Daniel Farke spoke to the media today.

By Lee Sobot

Leeds will be looking to bounce back from Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland which ended a seven-game unbeaten run and has left the third-placed Whites ten points adrift of the division’s automatic promotion places. United are now ten points behind second-placed Ipswich Town and there is now an 11-point gap to leaders Leicester City after midweek wins for both the Tractor Boys and Foxes. For Leeds, a Saturday 3pm visit of 14th-placed Coventry is next, ahead of which Farke held his pre-match press conference at 1.30pm from Thorp Arch today. Here is every word from United’s German boss.

Ampadu ever present this season, what have you thought to him in recent games?

"Overall a fantastic season, we are more than happy how he has developed also since we signed him. You couldn't predict that it would work that smoothly and on this level when we signed him because he had also a few tough, tough years. But he's doing exceptionally well. I think had, especially in the beginning and after I would say game day six, many, many top. top class performances. I think the last performance was solid in terms of defending and the stability that he gives. Yes, sometimes his forward passing could be a bit more precise and tidy in the recent games but even if he doesn't have his best days, he is still there with a seven out of 10 and this is also what we need in the middle of the park. You can't always expect that he organises everything in the defence and wins many duels and wins many headers and shows already the leadership in this moment and he's always there with great assists like the other day for Georginio for his fantastic goal. He has the capability to show this. Yes in the recent games, he could have done this perhaps in this terms the forward passes a little bit better but it's also quite normal over the course of the season that sometimes it's not the spotlight game but he's still always there solid and reliable performances and I am more than happy that we have him."

No Cresswell on the bench at Sunderland, is he doing enough in training to catch your eye?

"Yes, absolutely. It was just more like due to the situation with what happened during the game and if I'm honest, it's not that often that you change during the game on the centre back position. For example in the last games we never changed so Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk have done exceptionally well during the season that keeps even a club legend like Liam Cooper, our captain at the moment out although he had many, many good games during the season and was involved in many, many clean sheets. But even he was just on the bench in the last games. And obviously Charlie was also an option when Sam Byram was not available, to bring him into the into the squad. But if you think what can happen during the game, and we decided to take one more offensive player with us especially because on this day Georginio Rutter was struggling a little bit with a cold, Patrick Bamford was struggling a little bit with the flu, I wasn't sure how many minutes they would be capable to get and so for that I wanted also Mateo Joseph, a young striker more or less for three strikers for this position in our squad for this for this game because it's more likely that you have to react when you're perhaps chasing the game and then you're more tempted to bring a more offensive minded player in. And we did for example, also like in the last game. For example, if you go in the lead then you're also not too tempted to have changes in your back four because it means you are doing exceptionally well, if you are in the lead. For that, it's tough at the moment for us. Charlie doesn't have to prove anything. He was more or less the man of the season in the last season for Millwall, he has proven that he can be an outstanding defender on this level. His only problem is that we have lots of competition in this position with Joe and Pascal - two of the top defenders so far during this season, with Liam and unbelievable reliable guy, club captain, always delivering. It's tough competition, especially on this position. The only thing is you have to keep going and you have to stay professional and make sure that you're further on, spot on for the moments when you get your chance because this chance sometimes comes quicker than you will expect this. But this is what Charlie does, I have the feeling he is well prepared and I would have no problem at all to start him or give him minutes. It's just due to competition in the squad that he was not involved at Sunderland."

You mentioned the Stoke game - did that night have any bearing on your future decisions in terms of being reluctant to make changes?

"No, not that much because my general approach and how I judge things and when I want to rotate is given so I'm experienced enough especially on this level to know when it's time for for a change and also to rotate or to stick a bit more with the starting XI. But on this night you also have to say that the players who came into the starting lineup, it was not that they were able to grab the chance. I don't blame them. It's also difficult after a few weeks to come in and to take the chance. But yes, obviously I would have preferred to be there with a shining spotlight game against Stoke and a brilliant, brilliant away game and it's always better for each and every player when he uses his chance when he gets the nod for the starting line up and impresses, for example with the offensive players with assists, with good performances and defensive players with a clean sheet. Sadly it was not the perfect night for them but also they have all of them my backing and no accusing. I know also it's tough because it's a bit easier when you say now you come in and you have the next five games, you don't have to worry, I give you the chance to come into your rhythm and to play the next five games whatever happens. It's always better for the confidence and the feeling for player. Sadly on this level, we can't afford it so the chances especially when you have competition are quite rare. For that, yes, it's a bit like a dog eat dog business and you have to deliver when it comes to the spotlight moments. But it hasn't changed my general approach or the way I see things and each and every player each and every has a chance to impress in training and then also to impress during the minutes that I give them."

Do defeats this season feel worse because of the top two?

"Yes, sometimes in judging the whole situation and in total, you can have the feeling. But it's just important that we are not affected by it. Because if you could have told us in during pre season and the beginning of the season when we had so many problems that we would be there with nearly a point average of two per game and already after this amount of games, already there with more than 40 points, everyone would have said that would be a nearly perfect, perfect outcome and most of all the other seasons would have been enough to sit on top of the table. What we are doing, what the players are doing at the moment on the pitch doesn't get worse just because some other teams are also doing great or doing even better. So I have to give credit and compliments to my players for what they've done so far. Obviously the last game was definitely a disappointing outcome but in total, I have to say what they're doing so far, they deserve all the praise and they also can be proud of themselves with what they have achieved. But it's about to keep going, to make sure that we keep going also in the same manner, in the same way, that we perform in the same way, that we win many points. If we do this then we have a great chance to be in a top class position come next May."

Would you like players to let you know if they are unhappy about lack of minutes?

"My door is always open 24 hours. Everyone can always come in and there will be sugarcoating. There will always be an honest and straight and direct answer. But on the other hand, they also don't have to come in in order to make sure that they're unhappy because that's not important. The talking in the manager's office or the dressing room is not important. The only talking that matter is what you do on the pitch. So show me on the training pitch that you want to start, show me in the minutes when you come in that you want to start. You don't have to come in in order to tell me that you want to start because I take this for granted. These are professional footballers and if one of my players in the squad is not greedy and unhappy if he is not starting then I would have a problem with him because I want players to do this. But I my door is always open and also in terms to help a player to speak about situations that he has to improve. Sometimes I'm proactive and invite also a player into my office when I have something that I want to share and also given some advices but they're also allowed to come proactive him so my door is always, always open. But they don't have to tell me that they want to start because on this level, at least for me it is for granted."

How do you keep attacking players that are not playing in a rhythm?

"It's always a difficult task, you're right, because there's no replacement for starting a game. So in these terms you have to make sure that you train on top level in order to be prepared when you get the chance. I know it's always difficult when you're several weeks not in the starting lineup and waiting for your chance and obviously you have to use each and every training session and also to train with the pride of 'okay it's more or less like a like a Champions League final and to be spot on. Because otherwise, you're not prepared when you get the chance. And then it's also like, use your minutes that you get - if it's 45 minutes or 30 minutes, or just three minutes. So make sure that whenever you come on in order to impress, to help the team, to try to be there with end product, with goals, with assists. Obviously, when you're just playing three minutes, it's more difficult to score in comparison to when you play the other 87 minutes before - that's also quite natural. But yes, it's also a tough, tough business and on this level there is lots of competition and I'm not here to win the Nobel Peace Prize, I'm here to win football games. So for that, yes, players who deliver, who are there with good performances they earn their spot and it's not like we share the minutes equal. You have to make sure that when you get the chance, you shine bright and you use this and it's difficult. But we can just make sure that we still also back the players and prepare them in a perfect way, speak with them, give them confidence, offer really good and intense training sessions that when they get the moment to shine that they have a good chance to use that chance. But it's then up to them."

What does it take to have that longevity and could you see yourself here in six years?!

(laughs). "You Never know. This job comes always with lots and lots of pressure and it's never, never easy. I have been here not even six months and it feels already a little bit like six years because so much has happened during this time. And I have to say I love it here and if I'm still allowed to be here in six years and would be allowed to help up this amazing club to achieve something special I would love it. And it would also mean that we have achieved our targets because I spoke quite open and honest about what my targets are for this club in the mid term and long term. Obviously the short term is obviously always a bit difficult after two difficult years but I want to help them in the right direction and I want to be successful."

On Mark Robins and Coventry - is he one of the most underrated managers?

"I'm not sure. What I know is that I rate him really highly. I think he's doing a fantastic job with also limited resources. But the club has also developed and this means a pretty, pretty tough opponent also in this league so we don't have to speak about last last season when they made it to the play-off final. I think also the brand of football that he plays is nice to watch and then they always are brave, they try to attack and I like a lot of what they are doing. Obviously, they had a few changes on key positions after the last season and then they need a little while to get going this season. But they are also on a good run and they are climbing the table at the moment so pretty dangerous opponents tomorrow. It's an important game for and I have lots of respect for Mark's work. I think he's a fantastic manager but nevertheless we want to win the points tomorrow."

Would all your players understand exactly what is asked of them now? Even if asked to play a different position?

"Yes, of course. It's always good to have the players always in their best position. But if you have a special situation - right now we don't have a natural born left back available at the moment then you have to find some different solutions and everyone knows for example that if a player has to play a little bit out of his normal position, what he has to do if he has to pay a different position and again, there is there is no right or wrong. You can also do it a different way, in terms of changing between the games. When you're winning you are right, when you're losing then you want to change other things, it's always the same. We stuck to the starting lineup that quite impressive for example in the weeks before, just Djed Spence came in for Sam Byram and sadly we lost the game then everyone argues, yeah, you should have rotated or whatever. That's just the way it is. And if you rotate and have an unlucky outcome like at Stoke for example then everyone says why did you rotate, stick with the team that wins game. It's always the same in football and that's why we also love this game and also love to discuss about it. So for that, I told you about my approach, how I see this. As long as you perform, you have a good chance to keep your spot and if you don't perform then, yes, there will be changes and Sometimes, obviously also due to tactical reasons and sometimes also when the load is four games within nine days, yes. But my players should be able to pay at least when there are four days between the games. We pay them so much money so we can expect that they are ready to go all four days anyhow. They shouldn't be that soft so not a problem."

Lots of games now, time to make changes?

"Not out of the loads and because of this turnaround. This turnaround, four days between the games, it's not a problem at all. If my players wouldn't be fit enough to play (after) four days, I would do something wrong in training, at least to start a game. For that, this turnaround - Tuesdays, Saturdays, it's not a problem at all. In general, so I think my general thought is that it's important that you use the whole squad but I'm not a big believer in a game in out, in out, that you always switch and never come into a rhythm. It's more or less to use the whole squad over the course of the whole season. So there are different periods have. For example Luke Ayling was starting a lot in the beginning of the season or the same with Liam Cooper. Right now is a period where they don't start many games, but it can change or whatever with our offensive players - Cree Summerville, Daniel James - they've missed a few games in the beginning of the season, also Georgi Rutter due to injuries or illnesses. And yes, for example, Willy Gnonto was starting many games at the beginning of the season. Right now he has to wait a little bit. So I think it's always important that you have not just XI players. It's more like you need a group of 17-18 players who share more or less the minutes and also some younger players who are there perhaps with less minutes but in total over the course of the whole season with 46 games you need many players with many minutes and I can hardly see one player who is there and gets all the minutes. I'm not a big believer in, in out, in out because then you never come into a rhythm and with this way. Also, if you perform then you keep your position in the squad and perhaps you can also afford sometimes to have a bad or a bad game but you can't afford when there's competition to have two or three bad games in a row otherwise a different player will become the chance so with this way I think I was pretty successful also on this level for some other clubs and this is more or less my general approach. I would never speak about 'okay, I've always this starting line up in my head for the whole season. It's just a question of momentum and when you deliver then you have a good chance to keep your spot in the starting line-up. And when not then a different player gets a chance. Obviously when you have periods over Christmas with, whatever, four games in nine days then of course also you have to change also a little bit. But this turnaround with four days between the games, it's not a problem."

Team news - any different?

"No, it should be the same squad. Some good news with Junior Firpo, it looks like he can join us in training today. But he was out for so long in total he won't be a topic for this game. Everyone has recovered, no new flu or cold cases so for that everything is okay."