Mighty Leeds Weblog

By Stuart Rayner For a while when Daniel Farke spoke to the media on Friday, it sounded like the manager of Leeds United was saying his goodbyes. "Three years ago we spoke about the goals we want to achieve and I have to say my mission is fulfilled and my job is done and there's nothing to add," he said. "My mission is fulfilled one year earlier than expected." But having laid those landmines, he backed away from them. Asked if this was him casting doubt over whether he would see out the four-year contract he signed at Elland Road, he insisted: "That's a wrong interpretation." If it was not goodbye, surely it was a powerplay. Political machinations have been all the rage this week, and it seemed like Farke had a taste for it. The more he talked, the more it sounded like laying the ground for a fight. Farke always insists he does not play mind games, but he sounded like a man trying to wrestle the future of the Elland Road club in th...

By Graham Smyth Leeds United boss Daniel Farke raised eyebrows and further questions with what he said in the press room before the Brighton game, but what to make of it? The penultimate pre-match press conference of the 2025/26 season could have been routine. Team news, a reflection on a job well done and what to expect from Brighton on Sunday - that is what it could have been because that is all anyone really expected. Instead, Daniel Farke went down a different route. Instead, he put the cat among the pigeons/laid down a challenge to the board/made it sound like he was off/got a little revenge for being left swinging in the breeze by reports on his job security this time last year/made perfectly reasonable comments about what must happen next at Elland Road. Delete as you feel appropriate. What Farke said about his job being 'done', the mission complete and the boxes ticked, followed by his insistence that the next project had to be agreed by all at the club and had to...

By Stuart Rayner Manager Daniel Farke has thrown the gauntlet down to Leeds United by making it clear they need to match his ambitions. He rowed back slightly, making it clear he had no intention of leaving, but there was no escaping the theme of a press conference ostensibly to preview Sunday's final Premier League home game of the season, against Brighton and Hove Albion. "I won't take on a season where I'm not convinced the club is heading in the right direction," he stressed. Having claimed to have achieved all the targets the club set him a year before the end of his contract, he challenged them to come up with a new plan which excites him. Farke is speaking from a position of strength, having kept newly-promoted Leeds in the Premier League. He said that when Marcelo Bielsa did that in 2021 Leeds failed to build on it and urged them not to make the same mistake again. "It's important to express my heartfelt gratitude and a big thank you t...

By Graham Smyth Daniel Farke spoke in great detail about Leeds United’s future at Friday’s pre-Brighton press conference. Leeds United boss Daniel Farke says the job he set out to do in 2023 is done so he and the club need to agree new goals this summer. Safety was secured on Sunday thanks to West Ham's loss to Arsenal and Leeds celebrated with a come-from-behind draw at relegation-threatened Spurs on Monday night. Ahead of the penultimate Premier League fixture of the season at home to Brighton Farke was asked about next season and a number of player contract situations. His response was that the first priority had to be talks with the board to decide on their next steps. Farke feels he and the club have come to the end of their first mission and need to agree on the way forward, once the final two games are complete and he has returned home to Germany for a short break. "When I signed the contract here three years ago we spoke about the goals, what we want to ach...

Never Meet Your Enemies Written by: Alan Wheatley They say never meet your heroes,
but what about meeting your enemies? What would you say if you found yourself in a one-on-one conversation with Der Kaiser — Franz Beckenbauer? I’ve often wondered what I should have said. In truth, I’m not sure I’d publish my first instincts. Yet, in the early 2000s, I found myself doing exactly that — spending several unexpected hours in the company of the man who, for many Leeds fans, represents the most controversial night in our football history. I had been living in Dubai since 1998. In mid-2005, my late and very good friend Stuart Priestley introduced me to Beckenbauer as we crossed paths in a Dubai hotel. Stuart and I went back years — both from the same part of Yorkshire, he from Rodley, near my home in Calverley. He had carved out a remarkable role running travel for Leeds United under Ridsdale and O’Leary. For a Leeds supporter, it was as close as you could get to living the dream. ...

By Kyle Newbould Alex Cairns spent almost a decade away from Leeds United before his 2024 return under Daniel Farke. Leeds United goalkeeper Alex Cairns admits the end of his previous Whites stint was ‘horrendous’ and he was informed of his release via letter. Doncaster-born Cairns came through the Leeds academy before turning professional in 2011, acting as back-up for a number of goalkeepers either side of spells on loan at Barrow and Stalybridge Celtic. He made just one appearance during his initial time in West Yorkshire, replacing Paul Rachubka at half-time in a 5-0 defeat to Blackpool. Cairns was inside the Leeds squad during previous owner Massimo Cellino’s first season in charge at Elland Road, after which his contract was due to expire. And speaking on this week’s Official Leeds United podcast, the Whites goalkeeper explained how neither he, nor manager at the time Neil Redfearn, had any idea he’d be let go. “It felt like a shambles. The expectation will always be th...

By Kyle Newbould The American has polarised Leeds United opinion but is enjoying an impressive Premier League return. Leeds United star Brenden Aaronson admits it has been ‘tough’ to deal with boos from his own fans on two separate occasions. Aaronson has come in for regular scrutiny during his four-year spell at Leeds, one of which was spent on loan at Union Berlin in Germany. The American’s work-rate has never even threatened to be questioned but particularly during difficult periods for the team as a whole, frustration has been aimed his way from the stands. Leeds fans made their feelings clear on returning loanees Aaronson and Max Wober at the start of their 2024/25 Championship campaign - albeit the former at least helped himself by addressing his decision to leave in pre-season. The attacking midfielder has now opened up on the mental challenges he faced during that period. “When I decided to come back to Leeds, it was definitely a tough decision,” Aaronson told Sky Spo...

O captain, my captain Words by: Chris McMenamy The English media’s inability to understand what makes Leeds United tick meant that many, if not all, predicted a straightforward home win for Tottenham against a side that had already secured safety without kicking a ball. So imagine their surprise when, with more than an hour played and Spurs leading 1-0, United captain Ethan Ampadu came flying into the opposition penalty area and took an overhead kick to the forehead from Mathys Tel. His team were meant to be on the beach, not in North London trying to ruin Spurs’ season for no reason other than personal pride. Nobody could believe what they were seeing, including the officials who spent four minutes replaying to see if Tel had kicked Ampadu in the head and, if so, why? If this is the length that Leeds United’s number four would go to just to earn a ‘meaningless’ point, there’s no telling what might happen when there’s something on the line. The captain’s role in modern footba...

By Stuart Rayner Even in a "dead" game, there should always be important information to glean. Leeds United's 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur showed their squad is not fit for its new purpose. November's game at Manchester City was a turning point not just in their season, but their whole course. Daniel James and Willy Gnonto were substituted at half-time as the Whites changed from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2. The team has not looked back since, but both have found themselves without a job to do. Two injuries, to Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle, left them scraping the barrel in a match which was only a different result or two out of 35 from being crucial. James and Gnonto are wingers at a club which no longer does wingers. Both have played for their countries at centre-forward, but manager Daniel Farke is not keen on either there. Gnonto started Farke's first Leeds game as a No 9, never to return. James has not played there for him. James is a good player now ...

The defender had a goal when he first joined Leeds United in 2023 Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter Joe Rodon says Leeds United have enjoyed an "unbelievable" two years and is pleased with how his season has gone on a personal level. Speaking to LeedsLive last summer, ahead of the season, Rodon said he felt he had a point to prove having been unable to earn regular Premier League minutes at former club Tottenham Hotspur. Monday night saw him help Leeds secure a 1-1 draw at former club Spurs with United’s safety already sealed, unlike that of the hosts. Being able to reflect on his season now Leeds are officially staying up, Rodon identifies what he has - and has not - liked about his personal campaign. “I think there’s obviously a little bit of frustration with the slight setbacks, with my ankle, but I think I’ve been stable, I've enjoyed it a lot,” he told reporters. “Obviously, we have changed system, played completely different positions, but I think that...

Bag of cans? Written by: Rob Conlon Ethan Ampadu had every right to lead his team out of the tunnel at Tottenham with each player swigging the last remnants from a bag of cans. This season has been all about Leeds United staying in the Premier League and with three games to go they’d done it. It has been a three-season slog to get to this point and not once have Leeds been allowed to relent. At last, they’ve been blessed with three weeks to put their feet up and relax. No pressure. Nothing to play for. Get on the beach, lads. You’ve earned it. But that’s not this team’s style. Why stop now when there are still a few more noses there to be bloodied? For weeks everyone in Leeds has been reading and listening to fans and pundits insisting this was a nailed on win for a Spurs team that has won two league games at home all season, and none since December. Enter Leeds United in our most devilish of end of season moods: we’re only here to spoil yer party. Dovetailing with Daniel Farke...

By Graham Smyth Good day, bad day and moments missed from Leeds United's 1-1 Premier League draw at Tottenham. Leeds United are unbeaten in the Premier League since the start of March and unbeaten in away league games since January, so a draw at Spurs was no surprise. The Whites were not at their best in possession for much of the 1-1 stalemate at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, yet as they have so often this season they dug out a result from somewhere. Here's the YEP take. Good day: Jaka Bijol. The big Slovenian loves to see a cross coming. Much of what Spurs tried to do was meat and drink to Bijol and he feasted on crosses all night. But there was still some guile to his performance on the ball. A warrior who can pass it. Good day: Ethan Ampadu. Played like a man who either has a dislike for Spurs or a desperate thirst for points. His body language even before the game suggested he was well up for this one, before he went snarling and snapping into the match. Argued th...

By Tom Coates A former Premier League referee’s view on a penalty call in Leeds United's draw at Tottenham Hotspur Jarred Gillett was right to deny Tottenham Hotspur a penalty in the dying embers of their 1-1 draw with Leeds United, according to ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett. The game was a dead rubber for Leeds, who had seen their safety secured by West Ham United’s defeat to Arsenal a day earlier. However, it was huge for Tottenham with relegation from the top flight still a possibility for the North London club. Mathys Tel fired Spurs ahead last night (May 11) but saw his stunning effort cancelled out by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty. Ex-referee’s verdict on penalty controversy The home side felt they should have been given a penalty in stoppage time, when James Maddison went down in the box under close attention from Lukas Nmecha. Spurs players protested but Gillett decided against pointing to the spot, a decision that was quickly backed up by VAR (vid...

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Leeds: Mathys Tel scored a stunning goal but then conceded a second-half penalty, with James Maddison denied one at the death, to leave Spurs just two points above the relegation zone after a dramatic clash Miguel Delaney at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium & Flo Clifford Roberto De Zerbi expects Tottenham relegation fight to go down to last minute Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi believes the officials “suffered the pressure” following VAR controversy in the West Ham-Arsenal game after Spurs dropped crucial points against Leeds in the battle for Premier League survival. De Zebri felt the referee Jarred Gillet was “not calm” during the 1-1 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which featured yet more drama a day after West Ham saw a last-minute equaliser ruled out in the “biggest decision in VAR history”. After giving Spurs the lead with a fine finish, Mathys Tel’s attempted overhead kick clearance struck Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu in the face, with Domi...

By Graham Smyth The Verdict on Leeds United’s comeback draw at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday. Leeds United's performance and result at Tottenham Hotspur told the Premier League that they will remain a problem to the very end, with or without jeopardy. It was Monday August 18 when Leeds knew they would be competitive in the Premier League this season. At least that's what Edmund Riemer said prior to the trip to Spurs. Daniel Farke's assistant took the pre-game press conference and suggested that the very first game of the season and how Leeds played against Everton told him that they were going to be in with a fighting chance upon their top flight return. He could feel it that night at Elland Road. But feeling it and proving it are two very different things. Leeds still had to go and do the harder bit and gain enough points to make reality tally with belief. Completing the job with three games to spare removed all jeopardy from their job at Tottenham. who of course can...

Leeds United showcased why they were the team already safe in the Premier League relegation battle Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter There was always a danger that Leeds United's performance levels would naturally drop after survival was secured the night before, though you can bet Daniel Farke was not about to let that happen. Relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur were playing at home for the first time since their back-to-back wins against Wolves and Aston Villa, buoyed by West Ham United’s defeat to Arsenal. That told in the atmosphere and also in the players, with confidence renewed. But Leeds were always going to have their say. Resilience has been a keyword for United this season, and they had to show that in various ways in Monday evening's 1-1 draw - firstly coming back from a goal down and then weathering the late barrage with 15 added minutes played in total. That perhaps epitomises this team under Farke. Quality might be lacking, but never effort and that s...

By Stuart Rayner Daniel Farke said he would not allow anything else after Leeds United fought hard for a point they did not need, but really wanted. The Whites' 1-1 draw was of more use to West Ham United than themselves, with the Hammers involved in a straight fight with Tottenham Hotspur to avoid following Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers into next season's Championship. And whilst Leeds were not at their best after being hit by freak gym injuries to Jayden Bogle and Facundo Buonanotte, they fought hard to come back from a Mathys Tel goal and equalise with a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty. "I wouldn't allow it in a different way, so if you put the white shirt on and represent this passionate and amazing club, you have all to play for, because we represent Leeds United, we want to make our supporters proud, and for that, if you're then not highly motivated in a Premier League game, you have chosen the wrong club," said Farke. "I would never a...

Tottenham 1-1 Leeds: Having provided a sublime opener, Tel’s foolish attempt at an overhead kick in his own box cost Spurs two points Miguel Delaney at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Yet another game dictated by VAR now, rather fittingly, looks set to bring the 2025-26 relegation battle down to the tightest of margins. That, however, is only going to cause emotions to waver as wildly – and as cruelly – as we saw in this 1-1 draw between Tottenham and Leeds. A big week for officials somehow had another crescendo. Some might say a nadir, given it makes for an even bigger season for officials. Two successive VAR calls saw Roberto De Zerbi and most of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium quickly go from exhilaration to exasperation. James Maddison, finally returning as a sub after Dominic Calvert-Lewin had equalised from a VAR-granted penalty, was denied what would have almost been a deus ex machina of an intervention. He ghosted into the box to be felled by Lukas Nmecha… only for Jared ...