There is a lot of pressure on Daniel Farke to get Leeds United promoted this season.
Just like the German’s debut campaign, it has been a rocky start for the club, with off-field noises being louder than what’s happening on the field of play.
Leeds United losing the Championship play-off final was a sign of things to come and how it was going to be a rocky summer for the club.
But Leeds fans didn’t expect it to be as bad as it became because they suffered blow after blow as the weeks of the summer window wore on.
Darren Bent has backed Farke to get the job done for the Yorkshire giants and stated that ‘he has done it before where a fanbase hasn’t been keen on him’.
Farke earned promotion twice with Norwich City, but doing it with Leeds would be far more satisfying and difficult because of the size of the club he is dealing with.
But you sense, for him to really put his foot down and showcase his worth, then he needs as much help in the transfer market.
Well, he didn’t get that because from Archie Gray to Crysencio Summerville, they all upped and left.
What’s worse is that, when Leeds were thrashed in the League Cup by Middlesbrough, the night was made worse by Brighton activating a release clause in Georginio Rutter’s contract.
Whilst all those deals took place, Bent has claimed that Gray’s transfer from Leeds to Tottenham ‘hurt the fans the most’ because of what he meant to them, as he told talkSPORT (03/09/24 at 4:30 pm).
Archie Gray leaving Leeds United
“He (Farke) has done it before where a fanbase hasn’t been keen on him and, all of a sudden, he has put an unbelievable run together and they get promoted,” said Bent.
“I like that they have given him a bit more time. They battered Hull, it was 2-0 and it probably should have been more. Fair play to them, they got off to a slow start. At least, you are starting to see signs of them getting a bit of momentum.
“Now, that they have got the players that have left out of their system, the likes of Archie Gray. I know Leeds fans, that was the one that hurt them the most. Him leaving. Summerville leaving. Gnonto signing a new contract. That’s big. I think Leeds, if they can pick up results, and with the squad that they have got, I am not saying they have got one of the best squads in the Championship, but they certainly have quality and have a push.”
Pressure on Daniel Farke
Whatever you think about how Leeds have been run pre-Farke entering the building and the clauses in players’ contracts.
The message is still simple and clear. He has to get Leeds promoted, or else, he will be out of a job by next summer.
READ MORE: President calls Leeds United deal the ‘most significant transfer’ in his club’s history
Ideally, the Whites want to do it by winning the league, just like they did under Marcelo Bielsa because the play-offs are their kryptonite.
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