Luton Town v Leeds United: Mr Cool Daniel Farke on removing the elephant in the room and keeping the fires burning — Yorkshire Post 5/4/25

By Stuart Rayner

"MY COMPOSURE, my calmness and coolness is more than enough for the whole of Yorkshire," claimed Daniel Farke as he addressed the media ahead of Leeds United's Championship trip to Luton Town.

A pity, then, he will not be playing at Kenilworth Road.

With one win in the last five games, the familiar nerves are starting to creep in at Elland Road.

Top spot in the Championship has gone and Burnley are only behind on goal difference – albeit a long way behind. If it was a one-off, it would be easier to brush off but this is the club who crumbled last year and whose history in the play-offs means many will be terrified of them finishing third in the tight three-horse race for the title.

But Mr Cool was at pains to point out there is fire in his belly as well as ice in his veins, clicking his fingers animatedly to emphasise his points each time he delivered a "Bam!"

Being oblivious or worse indifferent to the maelstrom is no better than panicking through it, but Farke has done his best to turn down the dial this week by leading the elephant out of the room.

If Leeds lose in Luton and goalkeeper Karl Darlow has a nightmare, as Illan Meslier did at home to Swansea City seven days earlier, suddenly dropping the Frenchman, Farke's undisputed No 1 for his entire time as Leeds manager, will look like a panic measure.

Sticking by Meslier risked spreading the mistrust visible in his team-mates eyes as he dropped a cross to set up one Swansea equaliser, then flopped weakly over another.

And when long throws and corners are raining down from a team never afraid to use them at a tight, hostile ground like "the Kenny", you need absolute trust in everyone.

So early in a fraught week, Farke took decisive action, not only deciding Darlow would start against the Hatters, but letting the world know about it on Thursday.

"If I could have guaranteed that by making the decision 90 minutes before the game we would win the game, I would do this," says Farke.

"But in my experience when you have such a crucial decision, you need to be clear.

"It has lifted the mood because it was a bit like the elephant in the room. It was obvious we would discuss the topic and when there is clarity, I think it's always beneficial."

At a roller-coaster club like Leeds, so is calmness in the dugout.

"Everyone is allowed to panic because it shows how much they care for this club and wants to be successful," he says. "But my task is to ensure we stay cool and we stick together, we are not over-reacting, not over-motivated and this is what I bring to this club.

"Believe me I am totally calm and totally cool. I totally believe the boys are doing a great job and I am 100 per cent convinced we will play in the Premier League next season."

That said, he admits even he gets het up with Leeds' prospects of returning to the Premier League and all the financial implications that has for the future – and maybe even for Farke's job prospects? – on the line over the course of seven more games in four weeks.

In doing so, he highlights that whilst he may have been too slow to drop Meslier, he has got a lot right.

"The fire is still burning, I'm still alive," he says. "Sometimes I'm throwing bottles – plastic ones, you don't have to worry!

"I'm suffering for one or two days if we concede such a late equaliser (as Swansea's stoppage-time goal).

"Last game there were many big decisions. Brenden (Aaronson) was poor in the games before and we were discussing can we start him?

"We decided to start him and bam, inside 40 seconds he scored a goal, the best offensive player on the pitch. You think, 'Good decision.'

"With Willy (Gnonto) I was tempted to start him because he was so good at QPR but then (after an injury with Italy Under-21s) it was can we really have him on the bench due to his injury? We brought him in, bam, he scored – perfect.

"We decided not to risk Junior (Firpo) and Ao (Tanaka) after long travels. Everyone came through without injuries and you think, 'Perfect decision.'

"We were nervous to bring Ethan (Ampadu) back in for the first time (after injury). (He comes off after) 60 minutes, standing ovation for him, 1-0, we can bring the loved Ao Tanaka on, you think all the decisions are right.

"Then Ao loses a one-against-one duel, Illan is there with a situation where he should save the strike all day long and this changes the whole picture of the decisions.

“I think, 'What the hell is happening in this game?'

"Experience helps to get rid of the disappointment pretty quickly and not panic or send the wrong message to the players or over-react. After one or two days we put it to bed.

"I know how it works in this league. Sometimes it's hard to explain why but you have to accept this, to stay focussed, stay concentrated, stay calm, stay cool.

"If it didn't bother me and the fire isn't on, this wouldn't be great because you have to think about what to change and what message to give.

"But when it comes down to making decisions, to send the right messages, I would like to thing I am more composed, more calm than the younger version of myself. That's definitely better in this situation."