Tony Dorigo says Leeds United need more final third quality but they must not panic — Yorkshire Post 14/11/25

By Stuart Rayner

Tony Dorigo hopes to see Leeds United emerge from the November international break showing more quality in their attacking play, but he thinks the most important thing is not to panic at a dip in results.

Fortunately in Daniel Farke he sees a manager with the same calm qualities as the man who brought him to Elland Road, Howard Wilkinson.

Back in the Premier League after two years away, the Whites started the season positively but lost four of their last five matches, scoring just three goals and conceding 12.

It has dragged them into a pack of five teams directly above bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers who are separated by just five points, and the next four fixtures – Aston Villa at home, Manchester City away and Chelsea and Liverpool at home – are ominous.

Former left-back Dorigo believes tricky spells like this were inevitable this season and with calls growing amongst sections of the fanbase for a change of manager, he believes the most important thing is for everyone to stay calm.

"Everyone is concerned, I'm sure the manager's concerned, the players are, and the fans are," says Dorigo, a regular at games home and away working for the club's in-house television station.

"At a big club with the pressure you have, it was always going to be like this. The Premier League, the step up, is very difficult and you've got to get a lot of things right, but I think what we don't want to be doing is panicking.

"We need to try and get the best out of what we've got but it's a brutal league, it really is. Sometimes you don't get what you deserve.

"Whatever happens, you've got to have that belief and keep trying to improve.

"There is no magic bullet."

After six goals conceded in the last two matches Farke's stated priority is to improve that, but Dorigo wants to see them pack more of a punch at the other end.

"What's clear is that we just need that bit of quality in the final third, it's as simple as that," he argues. "Trying to work out the balance in midfield is important too.

"Sometimes the three that we played at Nottingham Forest (Ethan Ampadu anchoring alongside Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach) work well, but you still need to be a threat going the other way.

"At times we look good, we have possession, we're getting to some good areas, but we don't quite maximise it.

"Sometimes you're going to have to keep that midfield three nice and stiff and defensively sound, but then you need to keep the ball well, allowing one of those to break forward and support the striker. If you don't keep the ball very well, that's not going to work so well, so it's about the whole team keeping possession."

Dorigo is one of a number of club greats due to attend a dinner to honour Wilkinson, and he sees similarities between his old boss and the current man in tough times.

"Just look back at how he (Farke) handled thinks when he first came and the chaos of that initial bit, he was dealt a bad hand, and he was really phlegmatic and handled it brilliantly," says Dorigo.

"He's done that whether we were at the top and we lost, or wherever we were in the Championship, he'd always come across level-headed, and that's exactly the right thing to do.

"Going back to Howard's time, as players and manager we never looked too far ahead, you just always looked to that next game, what can we do better, how can we improve and let's concentrate on that. I think that's the only way to do it.

"It's only since I've come to this side of the fence that I now am like a fan, more up and down. I have to check myself sometimes, to think what happened when I lost 4-0, for example. You learn from it, you quickly get back to some hard work, and you just want to improve again."

"Clearly there is an opportunity there to strengthen the team, and only the owners and the management know, what is possible, and what isn't," he says

"We've got to hope when we get to that point, we're still above that relegation zone, and then you take your opportunities when the right player comes along.

"Maybe in one or two windows past, we haven't moved or we have got a player that hasn't quite worked out – I'm thinking of the likes of Georginio (Rutter) at that time.

"You've got to be really mindful of what you do and when you do it, but I think recruitment-wise, recently it's been very good, and no doubt they'll keep exploring."

It has already been confirmed that Gordon Strachan, Lucas Radebe, Jon Newsome and Mel Sterland will be amongst the former starts joining Dorigo at the Howard Wilkinson Tribute Lunch in Elland Road's Hisense Lounge at 12.30pm on December 5.

Tables are still available, with full details at wilko92.com/events.