'100 per cent convinced' — Leeds United bold post-Swansea statement departs from normal approach — YEP 29/3/25
By Graham Smyth
Daniel Farke remains '100 per cent convinced' that Leeds
United will play in the Premier League next season, despite a recent wobble.
A 2-2 draw with Swansea City at Elland Road made it six
points from the last 15 and boos greeted the performance at full-time. Though
many of those still left in the ground applauded as Farke and his players made
their way around the pitch, boos were again audible from various parts of the
stadium. Leeds started with a bang but ended with a whimper, throwing away
three points and having to settle for one. Brenden Aaronson's 35th-second
opener was cancelled out in the second half when Illan Meslier dropped a corner
under no pressure, allowing Harry Darling to level.
Leeds substitute Willy Gnonto appeared to have won it for
the hosts with his strike in the 86th minute but a poor concession of
possession in stoppage time, an inability to get a challenge in and Meslier's
failure to save a strike hit from an acute angle all combined to punish the
Whites. Zan Vipotnik hammered in a shot in a situation Farke later admitted he
did not even consider a chance and the ball flew past Meslier into the far
corner.
Following on from a less-than-convincing display in the 2-2
draw at QPR and with the defeat at Portsmouth still in recent memory, Farke was
asked what he had to do to convince his players that this would not be a repeat
of last season's late slide out of automatic promotion contention.
"It's a different group, I don't have to convince
anyone," he said. "It's a completely different scenario. We were not
one time leading from the front or the others had to chase. Right now it's
different, we were already in the leading role and let's say we would win our
last games we would finish in the top two. They [Burnley and Sheffield United]
still play against each other. There's never a guarantee for success. We've
gone many steps. Right now is the final step and it's always the most
difficult. I was in this situation before and I know how tricky it is but I
know what is necessary to bring it over the line."
Farke then diverted from his usual approach, which is to
remain quietly confident and avoid headline-making statements, and put on
record his utter belief that Leeds will go up this time round.
"We'll try everything to make sure the lads have the
best chance to make the last step," he said. "I'm 100 per cent
convinced we will play in the Premier League next season. From Tuesday we
concentrate on the upcoming week and I'm pretty confident with this mentality
that we have also shown today, there is definitely, definitely a lot to cheer
about come May, hopefully soon in May, and if not, then late in May. But I'm
pretty sure we'll have something to celebrate together with our supporters."