Daniel Farke's Leeds United summer demand making sense - Graham Smyth's Cardiff City Verdict — YEP 14/1/24

Daniel Farke's Leeds United job title demand is making more and more sense as he manages everything this club entails, from the crazy to the awkward, and attempts to build something.

By Graham Smyth

The German did not want to be known as a head coach, but a manager, because he apparently knew there would be more to his job than just formations, tactics and team selections. And so it has proved. There was the summer of madness, the mad rush of players for the exits and situations that called for managerial steel, as all outside the club lost their heads. The January transfer window was to be a nice, quiet one, and yet thus far has proved anything but. Djed Spence was sent back for failing to meet the totality of Farke's expectations. Then there was Luke Ayling's transfer request to deal with and cope with, as well as the ongoing Charlie Cresswell situation. And all the while, all the time, formations, tactics and team selections for the endless stream of fixtures that the Championship fires at you.

Farke would be forgiven for casting envious looks at those in his peer group who deal solely with the football, while others above him tackle the other stuff, but if you're to be judged on what happens on the pitch then why not get yourself a major say in what happens off it? After all, situations like the ones involving Willy Gnonto, Spence, Ayling, Cresswell et al can and do have a direct impact on a squad and how it goes about its business.

But if you are to be called a manager then you have to be pretty sure of your ability to manage whatever crops up, because things just do. Balancing Cresswell's desire to play with his right to do so was a tricky one, given its delicacy in financial and pastoral terms. Spence was popular with sections of the dressing room and his removal from the group might have been awkward. Hot on the heels of that one came Ayling, a dressing room leader and another right-back, asking to leave. That might have been even more awkward, particularly if Farke had gone another way with his decision. Anything is possible in football, especially at this club, but none of those situations were all that easily predicted.

What Farke wanted to do, in each case, was set out a stall for the values he wants to see established as the norm at Leeds, a club he wants to see in full control of its players rather than the other way around. He sent one message with Spence - meet the expectations or ship out - and another with Ayling - we'll give you what you want, if you deserve it. And with Cresswell, the message from the manager was clear - fight for what you believe but know and accept your role at the same time.

The juggling act for Leeds' boss is to handle things like that, the things that crop up, while simultaneously handling things on the pitch and earning the results that buy time. Like building something of substance with one hand and sword fighting for your managerial life with the other. On that front Farke's record has been good, but not perfect. The fly in the ointment has been tricky games against teams hellbent on parking a bus in the way of Farke's attack-minded team, tricky away days like Cardiff City. Finding a way to make his team more effective against such defensive-minded opponents has been the only real sign of weakness for Farke. But in the Georginio Rutter-Patrick Bamford 10-9 partnership he might have found a new source of strength as he fights for promotion. Rutter has been a creative force all season, wherever he has played, but in tightening up what Farke saw as his areas of concern - namely tidiness and ball retention - he has made himself an option there. Bamford, meanwhile, struggled to do enough with his substitute cameos to make himself an option for the starting 9 role, until at long last a chance came and he took it, with a goal against Birmingham. Another chance followed in the FA Cup and he scored the goal of his career. So the pair getting the nod, again, at Cardiff was no surprise.

What they give Leeds, which is useful when faced with a wall like the one Cardiff tried to throw up, is variation. The ball can go long, into runs that Bamford times really well. That was how his first chance arrived, with Ethan Ampadu supplying the long ball and Bamford running onto it, past defenders, but firing wide of the far post. The ball can also go into the feet of Rutter, who will then do just about anything, marrying unpredictability with incisive passing and mesmerising dribbling. This was how the first goal arrived, with Junior Firpo beating two to find Rutter, who fed it through for Crysencio Summerville. The winger wriggled out of a tight spot and his ball across the area was hooked home by Bamford, from his backside.

The 13th minute opener was exactly what Leeds' dominance deserved and it all-but removed the danger of Cardiff doing a Stoke or a Sunderland or a West Brom. Rutter presented Summerville with a golden chance to double the lead, but an uncharacteristic heavy touch allowed Jak Alnwick to block. It was total control, Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev running the midfield and penning Cardiff in for long periods. Chances flowed. When Kamara won the ball high up the pitch and disguised his intention to play in Summerville, it brought a second goal and three points, the winger drawing Alnwick and two defenders before slotting across goal for James to finish, two yards out.

Boos followed Cardiff off at the break and they were merited. There was no discernible change in plan despite the two-goal deficit and Leeds came out after the break in the mood to make things worse. Only the crossbar and the Whites' own inaccuracy spared the hosts a huge rout, James hitting the bar after a sublime ball from Archie Gray and Summerville twice giving away possession to halt promising moments. Rutter's attempted lob lacked the necessary oomph and when the 21-year-old won a spot-kick, Summerville thumped it against the post. It was a rare moment of profligacy from the Dutchman, for whom goals have been so easy to come by this season. The same has not been said of Rutter, for whom goalscoring appears to be the only remaining sign of weakness. So there was immense satisfaction in the Leeds camp and in the away end when he got on the end of a break-neck counter involving James, Summerville and Bamford, to lash in the Whites' third.

On this occasion, as was the case against an equally poor Birmingham, the 9-10 combination worked a treat and though Bamford was not at his absolute best his presence felt key. He and Rutter together, not even linking up but allowing Leeds to switch things up in possession, might just be the key to games like this one. Farke was straight onto the job of managing expectations at full-time, talking up his full range of options and avoiding suggestions that this will be the frontline pairing from here on in. That is something else he's managed well this season, the temptation to put any one individual on a pedestal or put unfair pressure on their shoulders. He is also avoiding all talk of tables, trying to keep everyone rooted in the moment and refusing to let the January window pull focus over the football. Spence and Ayling's exits have been managed and Leeds have won three victories by three-goal margins in quick succession, with three clean sheets to boot. Building and winning. Winning and building. God only knows what will crop up next – this is Leeds United after all – but that’s the life and the job he chose. He’s just got to manage.