Daniel Farke blasts Ao Tanaka theory and reveals correct half-time prediction — YEP 23/1/25

By Graham Smyth

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has issued an impassioned defence of Ao Tanaka and referee Matthew Donohue's refusal to send him off.

Tanaka was yellow carded in the first half as he attempted to press Norwich City close to their own penalty area. The Japan international was too eager as he went to block an Emiliano Marcondes pass in the seventh minute, left the Canary prone on the Elland Road turf and was promptly shown a yellow card.

In the second half the stadium held its breath as Tanaka went to ground and tripped Kenny McLean at the start of a Norwich break. Donohue's decision to play advantage indicated that Tanaka was likely safe - the laws of the game state that if a referee plays an advantage for an offence of interfering with or stopping a promising attack, the player is not to be cautioned. At the same time, advantage should not be applied in situations involving serious foul play, violent conduct or a second cautionable offence unless there is a clear opportunity to score a goal.

But while Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup felt the need to seek an explanation from Donohue as to why Tanaka was not given a second yellow, Farke could not have disagreed more with the insinuation that it would have been warranted. He felt Norwich were applying dark arts and his player was guilty of nothing more than naivety.

"We played today against a side with 0.0 xG [Expected Goals] in the second half," he said. "If the only chance to change the game was a yellow/red card then we're definitely in a good position. It was never a situation where Ao should be sent off, not in the sense of the game. Either a brutal foul - there was not one - or a tactical foul that avoids a big counter chance - it was neither. He's probably the fairest player in all of Western Europe and was there with exactly two fouls. Does he deserve to be sent off with two fouls? I don't think so. It was a bit the case of an experienced side thinking this guy is on a yellow card - for me even the first was doubtful - if there is another foul, make a bit more of this, roll a bit around - there was no need for treatment or whatever. Both fouls were deep in the opponents' half."

Farke pointed to a law that is not among his favourites for further justification for Tanaka staying on the pitch: "From the rules, no chance to give him a yellow card for this. I don't like this rule but it's effective. If you play advantage you can't go back and give a yellow card for a tactical foul. Do I like this rule? No but the rule is clear. You can only go back give a yellow if it's a brutal and reckless foul. It was not."

But Farke will use the incident as a learning exercise and revealed he had already addressed it in the changing room prior to Leeds emerging for the second half.

"Ao was a bit naive," he said. "An experienced side tried to use this in their favour and he has to learn out of this. Although we spoke exactly of this situation at half-time, this was more or less their only chance, to provoke a yellow/red card. It's always the same, probably I shouldn't have mentioned it because minutes later he's there with a straight leg. But I don't have the feeling that he deserved to be disallowed to play further on because it was not tactical, it was not relentless, it was just a bit naive."