Same old Leeds United question takes on fresh twist for Farke — Graham Smyth's Cardiff Verdict — YEP 22/9/24

By Graham Smyth

This Leeds United season is shaping up to ask the same question as the last one, but with a slightly different tone.

As Daniel Farke's 2023/24 Whites squad set about dominating games and winning plenty of them, with Leicester City and Ipswich Town winning even more, the question was always 'will it be good enough?' It was a good season. A 90-point season no less. Yet in the end, by the margin of a single Wembley goal, it was not good enough for promotion.

This season is just six games old but after a 2-0 win at Cardiff City that left Farke purring about dominance and defensive control, the question looks like it will take on more of a philosophical nature this time round. They won, they scored two goals and they kept a clean sheet, but they prompted boos and 'boring football' accusations with backwards passing. With 11 points from six games, an unbeaten and concession-free away record and Farke's ability at this level, there is little to suggest that Leeds will not be right up there come the end of the season. Promotion is definitely achievable. But will it be good enough?

That is firstly a question for supporters to settle, individually. They need to decide what it is they want from their manager and their football team. Is promotion enough, if it comes by throttling the life out of the opposition and sometimes the game itself? Is the destination everything or does the journey matter too? Does it have to be fun or function? Can it be both? There are those who have made their minds up already because they see this squad and expect fireworks. They see the ball going left to right and right to left and they yearn for something quicker and more exciting. Others are happy to take the win in Wales and move on. Results are king and they're hard to come by in this division. A win is a win and this one was comfortable.

Going into the summer 49ers Enterprises had no questions in their mind when it came to Farke and his position. He was their man and they had their plan. But the more substantial the question of style becomes, the more the Leeds owners will have to take note of what it is that their supporters want, what it is that will keep them sufficiently engaged. One of the things that made this club so attractive to Stateside investment was the level of buy-in from supporters once Marcelo Bielsa got his hands on the team and revolutionised the football. Keeping that level of support is absolutely vital if a stadium expansion plan, or any plan for that matter, is to come good.

The away end in any Leeds United game is worth keeping an eye and an ear on because they are as engaged as any fan and often present a reasonable barometer of the feeling in the general fanbase. At Cardiff City they were frustrated, audibly, by a focus on ball-retention that led Junior Firpo and Ilia Gruev to turn back and play safe in successive moments. The first was met with groans and the second with boos. But come full-time, after Joel Piroe had added to Largie Ramazani's first-half opener, they cheered long and loud. They did the wave with Farke and the mutual show of appreciation was prolonged enough to suggest that they were going home happy enough. It was good enough.

It can definitely get better though and what will aid Farke's cause is this work he vows to do on the team's efficiency in front of goal. Ramazani took his goal, on a full debut, quite beautifully. Pascal Struijk headed forward, Mateo Joseph flicked on and Ramazani - in for the injured Manor Solomon - did the rest, from a long way out too. Ramazani also missed a gilt-edged chance to double his tally when slotted into the area by Willy Gnonto. Struijk missed a second-half penalty. Brenden Aaronson put the ball wide from an inviting Jayden Bogle cross. Gruev was off-target with two efforts. Jak Alnwick in the Cardiff goal made a number of good stops. Goals are exciting and Leeds could and should have had a hatful.

But by the time Ramazani had raced clear of the defence to go in and beat Alnwick on 30 minutes, the league's bottom side were down to 10 men. Joel Bagan saw red for a rash challenge on Gnonto, who was going to go clean through, and from that moment the only real question was how many Leeds would win by. The Bluebirds were awful in possession, posing little to no threat and Leeds controlled them well throughout.

In such circumstances, against an opposition without a win this season and closing in on an almost inevitable managerial change, a rout was a fair expectation. Or if not a goal glut, then enough creativity and superiority to leave the result beyond doubt before too long. It was not until the 87th minute that Leeds made safe the three points, though. Substitute Piroe made no mistake with his only chance and rifled in another reminder of his finishing ability. The chance came on the counter, after a long throw that Leeds defended - a long throw that might well have brought the least deserved of equalisers.

So as effusive as Farke was on his team's defensive behaviour, the way they bossed possession and the chances they created, he was right to take issue with the lack of killer instinct. Putting Cardiff to bed far earlier and far more convincingly would have done their manager more than one favour, because a 4-0 win is so rarely boring.

What has to be taken into consideration is that this is still a rebuild. This is not a team with the same individual brilliance as its 23/24 predecessor. This was Ramazani's first start. Solomon, whose quality at this level cannot be questioned, was missing. Ao Tanaka is yet to get a chance to show it, but the injection of a natural 8 into a midfield currently staffed by a pair of 6s will, you would think, add a bit more cutting edge. Dominance is where Leeds' assurance of promotion should lie this season and, in time, as the base from which to build more fluid and incisive attacks it could lead to excitement.

The season is six games old. An exciting, winning team is not built in a day. Will it be good enough? That's going to be more of a subjective question this season.