What Daniel Farke said about Leeds United penalty decision and reason for defeat at West Brom — YEP 29/12/23

Daniel Farke lamented Leeds United’s inability to turn good positions into good chances and a refereeing decision that went against them in a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

By Graham Smyth

The Whites suffered a third defeat in five games and their fourth away loss by a 1-0 scoreline this season, after struggling to break down yet another stubborn and organised defence. Farke rang the changes, making five in all including the enforced replacement of the suspended Illan Meslier and the injured Pascal Struijk. In came Sam Byram, Ilia Gruev and Willy Gnonto, along with Karl Darlow and Liam Cooper.

But while Leeds should have had at least one penalty in the first half, they drew just the one save of note from Alex Palmer in the Baggies goal and conceded a soft one at the other end. Jed Wallace was given the freedom of the Black Country on the right wing and his cross was tucked in at the second attempt by Grady Diangana. Farke threw on more attackers in the second half and Leeds put the ball into the box on numerous occasions without ever coming that close to a leveller. The manager accepted that some flak would come his way.

"When you lose a game you have to allow each and every criticism,” said the German. “For me it was clear it was a tight game between two neighbours in the table. We knew we'd face one of the best sides in terms of intensity and structure against the ball, it was their 12th clean sheet. It was always clear it's difficult to create chances against them.

"I think we started on the front foot, had three really good situations but we didn't get the shot away. I would have wished for more brutality, to bring more physicality in, we were behind the last line but we didn't get one shot away. The ruthlessness was missing and we allowed them out of one of their two first half chances to go and lead. Once this side has the lead it's difficult to create against them. We played a lot in their half, brought many offensive players in, changed our base formation, but they changed theirs too, had five at the back and congratulations to them their defending was great. You have a moment when you can get your shot away, we were not tidy with the first touch. In the last two or three percent it was missing today in the opponents' box.”

Farke, unsurprisingly, took issue with the officiating of the challenge on Gnonto in the Baggies’ box. He said: “What should we say, the whole stadium saw it. We don't need to discuss about it. Why should Willy Gnonto, highly motivated, starting, Italian international, why should he go down and dive? If he's pulled down it's a penalty, and you even speak about a red card, there was no intention to play the ball. Obviously it was a decisive moment, to go into the lead always changes the game against this side. We've experienced ourselves how difficult it is to play in underload in this league. It's not important how I judge it, how everyone in the country watching on TV judges it, it's just important what happens on the pitch.”

Although the Leeds boss revealed he had strongly criticised his side, internally, after the Preston defeat, he was more measured in his assessment of their overall performance at the Hawthorns. But Farke made no attempt to deflect from the fact that Leeds have found themselves in a time of adversity and need to bounce back quickly.

“For probably the first time since we got this group together it's a difficult period,” he said: “Each team has such a difficult period in a long season, 46 games. It's important you show more unity but don't doubt yourself. Be more brutal in front of goal, don't allow the opponent to have many chances but if this chance is enough for them to score, you don't allow them one chance. We want to win the momentum back.”