Daniel Farke declares 'happy' Watford take amid Leeds United 'worst moment' with 'no sleep' star — YEP 30/3/24
Daniel Farke has given his reaction to Leeds United's 2-2 draw at Watford.
By Lee Sobot
'Really happy' Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has explained
why he will take Friday night's point at Watford "all day long" faced
with the "worst possible moment", in-game "bad luck" and
new Whites injuries.
Leeds resumed their Championship promotion push after the
March international break with Friday evening's clash at Vicarage Road in which
a Whites win would have put United back into first place and three points clear
of Leicester City.
Instead, the contest ended in a 2-2 draw and only after
substitute Mateo Joseph's late leveller. Leeds were very slow to get going and
Watford went ahead just after the half hour mark through Vakoun Bayo who rifled
home a fine first-time finish after Illan Meslier had saved from Emmanuel
Dennis but parried the ball into his path.
The Whites then drew level in stunning style just six
minutes later through Crysencio Summerville who cut in from the left flank
before producing a stunning curler into the opposite corner.
Watford, though, immediately responded and went back ahead
in the 44th minute through Dennis who cut in from the right and skipped past
Liam Cooper before smashing home a low drive into the bottom left.
Despite United’s attempts to rally after the break, the
Dennis strike looked set to give the Hornets all three points but young striker
Joseph came off the bench to bag an 85th-minute equaliser with his first
touches of the game.
Leeds, though, then pushed hard for a winner and another
substitute Jaidon Anthony was only denied by a fantastic Daniel Bachmann save,
but for which Farke says he would have been "dancing on the table"
for the first time this campaign.
Explaining a long list of circumstances stacked against the
Whites, Farke said: "I tell you what, I will take this point all day long,
really, really happy and proud of the boys. I didn't speak about this topic
before the game because otherwise you send the wrong message. But we played
this game in the worst possible moment.
"First of all Watford, it's always the same, a new
manager comes in, there's new belief, a bit of fresh air, they won the first
game for the first time since a while, big positivity here and then it is like
their old mate and former colleague in charge.
"They know he knows the players inside out and always
gives them confidence and then obviously they then play with confidence and it
feels a bit like they are unleashed and they have a great start.
"And for us, the international break was the worst
possible outcome. Three players came back injured (Willy Gnonto, Connor Roberts
and Ilia Gruev), all three players in red hot form not available for tonight.
"For the Welsh lads for example, two and a half days,
they had to play 120 minutes with the
biggest disappointment of probably the biggest game of the season so they are
not allowed to go to the Euros. Also the outcome, unlucky for Daniel James.
"Junior Firpo still played on Wednesday morning in
South America and had a flight back without sleep. He arrived yesterday late
with us.
"We had Georginio Rutter today nine days after surgery.
He had to start the game.
"Also, I always hope that Liam Cooper starts for
Scotland, but not two and a half days ago because with his injury CV you hope
that he doesn't have to play two times within three days in the starting line
up for 90 minutes.
"We had not one training session together as a team. We
had the whole time during the international break six first team players
available.
"I like it because it is a sign that our players are
wanted by their national team manager. It's a good sign we have some quality.
But once you don't have a training session with the team because yesterday it
was not possible to have load for the Welsh players, for Junior Firpo, for
Liam.
"So for that we had to play this game just like
pressing the button, not one training session together with the whole team and
obviously you could feel this in the first half because we were not in our
rhythm and not at our best and football-wise and then also a bit unlucky with
how we conceded the goals.
"But it's then so so difficult to turn the game and get
something from the game when you play an unleashed side who is playing with
confidence and have for the first time
this season more or less the positivity and they still have individual quality.
We don't have to speak about this. They have really good players, they are much
better than their league position.
"Then to play such a second half and to come back and
to equalise and normally with the scene of Jaidon Anthony we nearly won this
game, it would have been really the first time this season I would have danced
on the table if we would have scored in this moment.
"I tell you what, I take this point all day long and I
am so, so proud of the lads, pretty happy with the outcome tonight."