Good Morning. It's Wednesday 12th November, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Farke to be given four games to turn things around?
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke appears, for now, to have avoided the dreaded axe, if reports from the Daily Mail (often seen as the mouth piece for 49ers Enterprises) and the Yorkshire Evening Post are to be believed. Graham Smyth has gone so far as to say he would be “stunned” if Farke was dismissed at this stage, pointing to the German’s tactical adaptability and solid point-per-game return in the top flight this season.
Patience has been a hallmark of 49ers Enterprises’ leadership style, with their reluctance to move quickly evidenced by their delayed decision-making during Russell Martin’s troubled spell at Rangers. Both Farke and the Elland Road hierarchy were under no illusions about the challenges this season would present, yet with Leeds struggling, questions are inevitably being asked about whether he is extracting full value from his squad.
According to the Daily Mail, Farke was informally handed a five-match window to turn results around, with Nottingham Forest earmarked as the most winnable fixture in that stretch, a game that ultimately slipped from his grasp. Five days have passed since that defeat, and the fact no action has been taken during the current international break, a period traditionally used by clubs to make managerial changes, suggests his position is safe for now.
However, the forthcoming run of fixtures, Aston Villa at home, Manchester City and Chelsea away, followed by Liverpool at home, presents an uphill battle. On current form, Leeds would be lucky to pick up a total of three points, and would surely see his Elland Road tenure come to an end - but many see this as postponing the inevitable!
Nmecha perfectly suited to Farke' system - Cross
New York Times journalist Beren Cross recently weighed in on Leeds United’s current position in the league and the success of their summer recruitment. Consecutive defeats have left the Whites perilously close to the relegation zone, yet Cross believes their performances merit a higher standing in the league. He was particularly positive about the club’s summer recruitment, which saw ten new players arrive for a net spend of £93 million. Among the signings, free-transfer addition Nmecha has been singled out as a success story having stayed fit and looks perfectly suited to Farke's system as a physical, hard-running, aerially strong target man. He is the ideal backup to Calvert-Lewin, even if he may not quite have the same finesse.
However, he stressed that more time is needed to fully evaluate the contributions of other recruits such as Bijol, Bornauw, and Perri. Among the standout additions so far, Gudmundsson and Longstaff have arguably been the most impactful, while Stach, Calvert-Lewin, and Okafor have produced a blend of strong and serviceable performances. Despite this, Cross rejected the notion that Leeds have exceeded expectations, noting that their current standing feels about right given an inviting run of opening fixtures.
In fact, he argued that Leeds could easily be higher up the table had they not dropped valuable points against Fulham, Bournemouth, and Tottenham Hotspur. Unfortunately for Daniel Farke, momentum has deserted them in the last couple of games, and despite Nmecha's goal at the City ground, Leeds have not looked like scoring, and at the same time, are unravelling at the back, conceding six in two games.
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