The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Thursday 13th November) Farke has nothing to lose - he must go for broke

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Thursday 13th November, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Farke has nothing to lose - he must go for broke

Daniel Farke's tenure at Elland Road is teetering on the brink, and he knows it. The lack of cutting edge in the final third has been the defining flaw of their 2025-26 campaign, with the team badly underperforming their xG and squandering the points their performances should have earned. No player has more than two league goals to their name, and alarmingly, centre-back Joe Rodon shares the top scorer spot with Lucas Nmecha and Noah Okafor. At the other end of the pitch, Leeds have been leaking goals at an average of over two per game over their last six matches.

For the German, the stakes couldn’t be higher. History shows he’s willing to gamble when the pressure is on, and with four daunting fixtures ahead, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, he has little choice but to go for broke. Nmecha’s sharp finish against Nottingham Forest last weekend proves there are goals in his locker, while Joel Piroe’s record from last season offers a glimmer of hope if he can adapt to life in the top flight if given a proper chance.

Options may be limited, but this is no time for caution. Against an in-form Villa side fresh from a 4-0 demolition of Bournemouth, Farke must unleash every attacking weapon he has and play without fear. It’s win or bust, and the clock is ticking. A loss against Villa could very well speed up the recruitment process, especially taking into consideration their run of apponents.





Bamford back in talks with Wilder

Patrick Bamford’s footballing future may soon take a fresh turn, with the 32-year-old striker reportedly back in discussions with Chris Wilder about a potential return to action. Bamford, who has been without a club for five months following his release from Leeds in the summer, was previously linked with several Championship sides. In September, shortly after Wilder returned to the helm at Bramall Lane, the pair held talks over a short-term deal running until January.

However, that move was shelved when interest emerged from La Liga outfit Getafe, only for manager José Bordalás to veto the transfer entirely. Since then, Bamford has maintained his fitness by training with Coventry City, a gesture facilitated by his former teammate Frank Lampard — but there has been no prospect of a contract offer. Now, with Wilder keen to bolster his attacking options, the possibility of the pair reuniting could represent Bamford's last chance to find a club.

Preston too are on the hunt for a forward after Milutin Osmajić was handed a nine game ban yesterday for racially abusing Burnley's highly undesirerable midfielder Hannibal Mejbri last season. The Tunisian international, 22, faces misconduct charges of his own, after spitting at Leeds fans last month, when the two sides met.

[Irish Ian]

What does gping for broke even mean?

[Jaydog]

No I don’t know what it means either but it definitely isn’t the Farke way. Someone jested on here that he was settling for 2-1 in the Forest game.
Anyway Villa are levels above Forest and so is the manager so good luck if you throw the kitchen sink at them. Just remember the G-W goal at Forest!

[Jammy 07]

What does gping for broke even mean?

It's when losing during the last 5 mins you put a winger at left back and hope he can get forward to help create a goal.

Not advisable from the beginning of matches.

[Irish Ian]

It's when losing during the last 5 mins you put a winger at left back and hope he can get forward to help create a goal.

Not advisable from the beginning of matches.

Thanks, I think Herr Farke should just pick himself.

[The Subhuman]

Thanks, I think Herr Farke should just pick himself.

To do what?

[Irish Ian]

To do what?

Striker.

[Rook]

What does gping for broke even mean?

Sounds like a porn film title.

[The Subhuman]

Striker.

3rd rate striker wasn't he?

[Ellandback1]

[Pullhard]

Paddy’s deal with the Blades confirmed.

Short term deal until Jan.

He needs to stay out of the treatment room for the next 10 weeks if he wants to get back on track.

[Cjay]

I think a big problem is against Everton there was a noticeable and welcome evolution of our style of play.

We played a larger amount of long passes and our area of possession was almost 50% the opposition half (48-49%)

We also had 17 shots.

It was a nice and necessary change and imo had showed an indication DF had learned from his past mistakes.

But then Arsenal happened and it seemed to shock him into a revert to type mindset.

Our shots dropped.

7
7
6
18
16
14
10
5
11

For contest 4 of those are below the lowest Premier league average of 9.4

I think since Arsenal DF went into damage control mode, in his head he went closer to his own principles to try and do more of what he knows.

Statistically since the Everton game the long passes have been down in every game bar I think Bournemouth (where we played well) and the time spent in the opposition half has been down from around 48-49% vs Everton to around 42-43% or below (was down to 25% and 33% vs Brighton and Forest).

In the sense of passes played, your eyes don't lie, we spend a lot of time keeping the ball in our own half and it's gone up on average since Arsenal battered us.

And long direct passes in general has dropped.

It's closer now to the FarkeBall style he likes, more ball retention.

This is an issue for two reasons.

First of all their are striking similarities between us in some areas and the Norwich side of 2019-2020.

That Norwich side had a massive issue with progressing the ball. In terms of touches they were pretty high, top 10ish I think. But it was mainly defensive 3rd, their own penalty area and as you progressed up the pitch it dropped to when you got to the areas it actually matters (attacking 3rd and penalty area) they were bottom 3.

And in terms of progressive passes received overall ( despite being top 10 for passes played overall) they were again near the bottom. The only area in terms of progression that they didn't really struggle with was carries (basically Buendia coming and getting the ball and doing it himself by running it up the pitch) but that won't sustain a performance over a season.

And this is where we come in.

Because we also very much like Norwich struggle to progress the ball.

We also have the vast majority of our touches in the middle 3rd or defensive 3rd with us ranking near the bottom for attacking 3rd and penalty area.

We are down near the bottom for progressive passes received and as a consequence without a Buendia we rank bottom 5 and dropping for chances created in open play.

The other consequence (and again its similar to Norwich had) is because how Daniel Farke likes to set up in the buildup with the full backs high and pushed on is you become very susceptible to having the ball taken off you or just misplacing a pass and being hit in transition.

So obviously if you are having most of the ball in areas of the pitch closer to your own goal you are set up to attack, not to defend and you are also suffering in that respect.

So in an effort to make us safer the style actually makes us less creative and more vulnerable in a weird way.

The second issue as Adam said in his brilliant article is quite simply we haven't signed players with this ploddy style in mind.

Much was made about us signing big, tall, physical lumps.

What got a bit less attention but probably should have had more is we clearly made a very deliberate attempt to sign progressive players.

Not ball recycling types like DF likes.

Progressive players.

Think Jesse Marsch types not Russell Martin (horrible thought I know).

But Gudmonssen, Stach, Bijol, Okafor, Longstaff, Justin, those players all stood out to some degree in the past for ball progression, be it passing or running with it.

They aren't players who want 95% pass accuracy, they get it and go forward.

Whether that's long or short it goes forward

And think of Calvert Lewin, he's no drop deep link player. He's not a fancy touches Flick round the corner technically gifted ballerina type striker.

He's a get it forward let him battle with a defender and get round him player.

Direct.

Slow build up does him no favours and it doesn't play to the strengths of many of our signings.

World beaters they may not be but slow build up football doesn't play to the strengths of the players we've signed.

Which in itself points to a disparity between what the data recruitment stuff thought we needed and what DF wants to do.

And it probably doesn't play to the strengths of many of our Championship players either.

Dan James for example as Bielsa noted requires space, he's a winger whose pace needs space to work in, hiw do you get space, early balls.

Brenden Aaronson gets bullied off the ball all the time, one because he has the upper body strength of a toddler but 2 also again slow build up gives the opposition time to get round him. He's a Red Bull player, he is used to a get it and go forward mentality not a get it hold it go back.
And none of that takes into account the lack of attacking runs we get, again probably down to DF wanting a solid base but it doesn't offer player like DCL any support.

I think fundamentally DF needs to abandon his ideals, I really thought he had atleast adapted them v Everton but he's sinking more into it and it ends only one way.

It may be too late for him but I'd love to see us go more direct vs Villa, braver, less focus on keeping it and more on progressing it.

Maybe it wouldn't work, but I think it would play to the strengths of our players more.

[whiteinfrance]

I think a big problem is against Everton there was a noticeable and welcome evolution of our style of play.

We played a larger amount of long passes and our area of possession was almost 50% the opposition half (48-49%)

We also had 17 shots.

It was a nice and necessary change and imo had showed an indication DF had learned from his past mistakes.

But then Arsenal happened and it seemed to shock him into a revert to type mindset.

Our shots dropped.

7
7
6
18
16
14
10
5
11

For contest 4 of those are below the lowest Premier league average of 9.4

I think since Arsenal DF went into damage control mode, in his head he went closer to his own principles to try and do more of what he knows.

Statistically since the Everton game the long passes have been down in every game bar I think Bournemouth (where we played well) and the time spent in the opposition half has been down from around 48-49% vs Everton to around 42-43% or below (was down to 25% and 33% vs Brighton and Forest).

In the sense of passes played, your eyes don't lie, we spend a lot of time keeping the ball in our own half and it's gone up on average since Arsenal battered us.

And long direct passes in general has dropped.

It's closer now to the FarkeBall style he likes, more ball retention.

This is an issue for two reasons.

First of all their are striking similarities between us in some areas and the Norwich side of 2019-2020.

That Norwich side had a massive issue with progressing the ball. In terms of touches they were pretty high, top 10ish I think. But it was mainly defensive 3rd, their own penalty area and as you progressed up the pitch it dropped to when you got to the areas it actually matters (attacking 3rd and penalty area) they were bottom 3.

And in terms of progressive passes received overall ( despite being top 10 for passes played overall) they were again near the bottom. The only area in terms of progression that they didn't really struggle with was carries (basically Buendia coming and getting the ball and doing it himself by running it up the pitch) but that won't sustain a performance over a season.

And this is where we come in.

Because we also very much like Norwich struggle to progress the ball.

We also have the vast majority of our touches in the middle 3rd or defensive 3rd with us ranking near the bottom for attacking 3rd and penalty area.

We are down near the bottom for progressive passes received and as a consequence without a Buendia we rank bottom 5 and dropping for chances created in open play.

The other consequence (and again its similar to Norwich had) is because how Daniel Farke likes to set up in the buildup with the full backs high and pushed on is you become very susceptible to having the ball taken off you or just misplacing a pass and being hit in transition.

So obviously if you are having most of the ball in areas of the pitch closer to your own goal you are set up to attack, not to defend and you are also suffering in that respect.

So in an effort to make us safer the style actually makes us less creative and more vulnerable in a weird way.

The second issue as Adam said in his brilliant article is quite simply we haven't signed players with this ploddy style in mind.

Much was made about us signing big, tall, physical lumps.

What got a bit less attention but probably should have had more is we clearly made a very deliberate attempt to sign progressive players.

Not ball recycling types like DF likes.

Progressive players.

Think Jesse Marsch types not Russell Martin (horrible thought I know).

But Gudmonssen, Stach, Bijol, Okafor, Longstaff, Justin, those players all stood out to some degree in the past for ball progression, be it passing or running with it.

They aren't players who want 95% pass accuracy, they get it and go forward.

Whether that's long or short it goes forward

And think of Calvert Lewin, he's no drop deep link player. He's not a fancy touches Flick round the corner technically gifted ballerina type striker.

He's a get it forward let him battle with a defender and get round him player.

Direct.

Slow build up does him no favours and it doesn't play to the strengths of many of our signings.

World beaters they may not be but slow build up football doesn't play to the strengths of the players we've signed.

Which in itself points to a disparity between what the data recruitment stuff thought we needed and what DF wants to do.

And it probably doesn't play to the strengths of many of our Championship players either.

Dan James for example as Bielsa noted requires space, he's a winger whose pace needs space to work in, hiw do you get space, early balls.

Brenden Aaronson gets bullied off the ball all the time, one because he has the upper body strength of a toddler but 2 also again slow build up gives the opposition time to get round him. He's a Red Bull player, he is used to a get it and go forward mentality not a get it hold it go back.
And none of that takes into account the lack of attacking runs we get, again probably down to DF wanting a solid base but it doesn't offer player like DCL any support.

I think fundamentally DF needs to abandon his ideals, I really thought he had atleast adapted them v Everton but he's sinking more into it and it ends only one way.

It may be too late for him but I'd love to see us go more direct vs Villa, braver, less focus on keeping it and more on progressing it.

Maybe it wouldn't work, but I think it would play to the strengths of our players more.

Great post CJAY. Did you write it all by yourself?

[Clitheroe White]

Good analysis cjay. In summary, we need to actually attack a LOT more, make runs in to space and let our progressive players actually look to progress.