“We didn’t come here for warm words or compliments,” said Daniel Farke. By the time he left the Etihad Stadium, he may not have got them. There was little warmth from Pep Guardiola, delayed getting into the media theatre as Farke’s press conference became a lengthy affair. And that was before the Manchester City manager realised it was because his Leeds counterpart was accusing Gianluigi Donnarumma of gamesmanship to create a footballing timeout.
Until then, however, Farke was getting the plaudits, if not the points. Leeds were beaten 3-2. It left Farke with seven defeats in eight, three points from a possible 24. And yet, perhaps perversely, his position seemed strengthened. There had been an endorsement of sorts, an illustration of his prowess.
At half-time, the temptation was to wonder if the German was entering his final week as Leeds manager. His team were 2-0 down, heading for a thrashing. With Chelsea and Liverpool next, this looked a fixture list to finish off a promotion specialist who has never kept a team in the Premier League. Yet while Phil Foden’s injury-time decider inflicted Leeds’ latest loss, a turnaround in a game offered fresh optimism Farke can have a similar impact on his side’s season.
It might be an exaggeration to say Farke saved his job with a substitution; Leeds would say it was never under such threat. But as their run could become nine losses in 10, their manager could remain imperilled.
And yet there was something revelatory about a change that troubled City. Farke may be lumbered with an unwanted image as a manager who belongs in no-man’s land: too good for the Championship, not good enough for the Premier League. But his reputation, too, is of a manager whose sides go up playing 4-2-3-1, whose Norwich got overpowered in the top flight.
And then Farke summoned his inner Alf Ramsey at the interval at the Etihad, ditching his wingers. Leeds emerged with two strikers, both of whom scored. They prospered with a forceful brand of football. “We went a bit more direct,” said Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who came on to score and win a penalty. “I think with me and Lukas [Nmecha] up front, it provided a different physical outlet for the team. We played forward and just played with confidence - we threatened their backline and didn’t give them too much respect.”
If Leeds’ summer recruitment drive was a tall tale, Farke seeking out sizeable players, almost as an antidote to his Norwich days, the six-footers Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin arrived with similarly large figures. At the start of the season, Leeds were goal-shy: now they have four in their last three games from centre forwards, albeit with too few from wingers.
Some criticisms are being addressed, but not all. Leeds have conceded 11 goals in their last four matches. Over Farke’s time in the Premier League, spread across three seasons, his teams have let in more than two a match. His average is a lowly 0.60 points per game. There have been 11 from 13 outings this season: it is relegation form and yet, both on Saturday and over the campaign, there have almost been more. Leeds can look at three 90th-minute goals, winners for Fulham and City, an equaliser for Bournemouth, as examples.
“We've been close in many games but ultimately you have to turn those nearly moments into our favour and that's what you have to do to stay in this division,” said Calvert-Lewin, whose experience of relegation battles includes scoring the goal that kept Everton up in 2022. Farke has noted how the six teams who went up in the two years before Leeds all came straight back down; Sunderland, who went up with them, have twice as many points. Yet Leeds could at least make it closer than their six immediate predecessors.
There have some encouraging signs from Farke’s supersized signings though the excellent Sean Longstaff is sidelined for several weeks and the two centre-backs who joined, Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, only have three league starts between them. But Bijol came on with Calvert-Lewin in the switch to 3-5-2. It was a sign Farke can be more flexible than his critics acknowledged. Not, he countered, that it as simple as just playing 3-5-2.
“If it would be that easy, anyone can be a Premier League manager,” he said. He argued it was more a response to his first-half analysis. “Hopefully I can spot something in Manchester City; otherwise I would be the wrong guy in this chair,” he added.
As he may be aware, there is an ongoing debate if he is the wrong guy in the chair; or, at the least, not quite the right guy. Some thought Leeds should have been ruthless and sacked him after promotion. Their fate this season could hinge on a huge decision, and if they get it right.
Could Leeds get an upgrade? And one who would make an immediate impact? The evidence is unclear. But they went down in 2022-23 in a season of four managers or caretakers. And they almost got a point on Saturday courtesy of the expertise of the manager they have stuck with this season. So far, anyway.
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