Daniel Farke throws down gauntlet to Leeds United in extraordinary press conference — Yorkshire Post 15/5/26
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 to the club who trusted me in difficult moments to lead this club
into hopefully a better future," he stressed before making his point.
"When I signed the contract three years ago we spoke
about the goals what we want to achieve and I have to say my mission is
fulfilled and my job is done. All the boxes that we wanted to tick are ticked.
"It was crucial to steady the ship and give some
stability in strange circumstances. We played a really good first season,
winning 90 points in the Championship.
"It was also important to work on the mid- and the
long-term future. I took over a training ground at Thorp Arch that was on
League One level.
"It was crucial to ease the financial situation in
terms of PSR (profit and sustainability) issues but we still wanted to be
ambitious and to bring this club back to the promised land (the Premier
League). This is what we have done in the second year, winning the title, doing
it in style with 100 points.
"And the final step we spoke about was once we are
there back in the promised land, break the curse of all the other promoted
teams (relegated at the first attempt for the previous two years).
"(This summer) I allow myself for the first time since
I took over to look a little bit back and to be a bit proud of what we have
achieved. Everyone should do this.
"Right now I think it's important for the club that we
sit in a trustful atmosphere and speak about new goals. We have to speak about
the way we want to achieve it. We have to speak about the processes.
"The club has to decide where we want to be in a few
years time.
"I'm ambitious and this is quite important for me.
"I love to be a manager who plays for something instead
of to playing to avoid something. I'm not the right choice if it's about
maintaining the status quo.
"I have to be convinced of a project and the way we do
it.
"I'm at my very best when I 100 per cent buy into a
contract, into a project and I'm 100 per cent convinced to go forward in this
way.
"If I'm not convinced it could be the most attractive
contract offer (but) I wouldn't do this."
Although Farke had already referenced how a newly-promoted
team's second season in the Premier League can be as tough as their first,
kicking on in a way they did not allow Bielsa to is part of his vision.
"We had as a club exactly one good season in the last
25 years in the Premier League," he said, although 23 is probably fairer.
"(It was) the first season with Marcelo after promotion. And we missed
(the chance) to build on it.
"It's important that we don't repeat the same mistake.
We have to develop and evolve."
When it was put to him that he was casting doubting on his
future, he replied: "That's a wrong interpretation.
"Perhaps I sound a bit raw because I was ill the last
week but there is not one per cent doubt in my head just an honest, realistic
view on things.
"I'm full of belief, full of energy, full of trust, but
we have to speak openly, honestly and realistically about the next steps, not
just the next months."
