Leeds United 49ers Enterprises summer priority and fan doubts — Graham Smyth's Daniel Farke Verdict — YEP 7/6/24

By Graham Smyth

He never got to dance on the table and he never let the 'fire' that burned after defeats scorch his press conferences but Daniel Farke's stoicism failed to hide the fact that Leeds United got under his skin.

The full backing of Paraag Marathe and 49ers Enterprises for a second season with Farke came as no real surprise. There were sufficient positive noises about the 'alignment' between the German, the man at the very top of the club and the other football department decision makers, to suggest that they would prize and prioritise stability this summer, no matter what division lay ahead in 2024/25. Marathe, like Farke on so many occasions, pointed to the points tally accrued from a less-than-ideal starting position and way in which the manager conducted himself struck a chord with the ownership too. They're not ones for much of a fuss, they aren't drawn to drama in the way the previous regime was and they liked the strong, stable hand on the wheel that Farke provided.

There were times when things could have got a bit hysterical and Farke could have leaned right into it. Other managers would have. The Willy Gnonto situation. The exit clauses. The acrimonious departures of Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra. However many refereeing decisions irked him and cost his team. Farke never sugarcoated it. He let his opinion be known, but not the full extent of his ire.

Yet there were tells, in his dealings with the media, that provided a glimpse into his thinking. He was plainly, keenly aware of the narratives that run wild around Leeds United. The Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe at 9 and 10 debate exasperated him. Then, of course, he did later swap them. When there were calls for Mateo Joseph, over Patrick Bamford, Farke was aware. When praise of Archie Gray was becoming national news, Farke knew and kept the whole thing tethered to common sense. Equally, praise of one that would besmirch another was never his topic. Ethan Ampadu's leadership skills? A chance to talk about Liam Cooper. The Ampadu-Joe Rodon axis? A chance to talk up Pascal Struijk.

And though Farke spoke of the highly charged emotional nature of Leeds United as a club among his motivations for taking the job, it felt at times like he was discovering anew just how emotional the club is. The reaction to defeats, though somewhat expected, held a ferocity at times that he bucked against. More than once he reminded everyone of what he did, twice, with Norwich City. When his in-game management was criticised he reeled off a list of the team's achievements, one after another, fighting the feelings of others with facts. Just how much the criticism had stung or rankled was never clear but his awareness and his desire to correct the record suggested bruises, if not more serious wounds. On most occasions, his responses found favour among fans, not with everyone but with those perhaps more willing to be patient and consider the bigger picture.

What of his reputation now though, with Leeds fans and more generally? Is it also bruised? Undoubtedly, though not with everyone. Marathe reiterating that the plan would not change went down well in many quarters and that points total is as difficult to look past as it is to keep harping on about, given how little it mattered in the end. That's the two-sided coin really, with Farke, isn't it? Yes, 90 points was impressive, especially so when you consider when he took the job and the situation he inherited. No, it wasn't enough to get Leeds promoted and nor was their performance at Wembley when it really mattered in a do-or-die scenario.

There is certainly enough evidence from this season, in terms of performances, results and dressing room harmony to suggest that Marathe and co have made the right call. Then there's the idea of yet more upheaval and change, for a club that so recently went through a relatively messy break-up with its last owner, so many players and too many managers. Stability isn't all that sexy, but for Leeds United, not yet one full year into the 49ers Enterprises era, it's a strong look. Besides, Farke did enough to warrant a crack at a proper pre-season, with time and planning that simply was not possible last summer. That could make all the difference in order to put out a team that doesn't need the play-offs next term.

Still, there are certainly some big questions for Farke to answer and plenty of doubts and doubters to prove wrong. His style of play, the patience that some interpreted as too pedestrian, a suspicion that individual brilliance was too heavily relied on, accusations of predictability, allegations of mental weakness when the pressure was really on - those are all so subjective that he might well win a title by 10 points and never fully refute all charges. What will be driving him on, without a shadow of doubt, though, is the notion that some do not believe he is the man to lead the Whites back to the Premier League. That was not something he had to contend with when he first set about this job, not with two Championship titles already tucked away in his back pocket. His appointment met wholesale approval. His approval ratings now are not where they were. There is work to be done on that front and, like anyone in his position, he knows that the criticisms of 2023/24 will be the sticks he's beaten with if 2024/25 does not get off to the right kind of start.

But, he has the backing, he has the job and he has almost a year of the Leeds United life, an experience quite unlike any other in his career, under his belt. Farke has a chance to do what Marcelo Bielsa did and get it so right the second time of asking. With this club, it's difficult to envisage there being a third. It's also difficult to envisage him actually dancing on tables but after two seasons at Elland Road and what is the most gruelling of paper rounds, getting the job done would surely have the stoic strutting his stuff.