Leeds United: Sky Sports pundit stunned by Daniel Farke amid big bonus news on Willy Gnonto
Daniel Farke deserves “huge credit” for the turnaround in Willy Gnonto’s fortunes at Leeds United this season, according to Paul Robinson.
The Italian handed in a transfer request at the end of the summer window in an attempt to push through a move to Everton, and the former keeper says it is “very, very difficult” to keep a want-away player.
But the 20-year-old has come back from an indifferent first half of the campaign to explode into form in the New Year, with news emerging in January that an improved contract is now on the cards.
Robinson believes Gnonto himself deserves praise for his own revival but hailed the manager above all for how he has turned the situation around.
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News the Sky Sports pundit said: “Listen, we don’t know what’s going on, but the fact that the player’s at the table discussing a new contract is a big bonus for Leeds, and for him.
“You’ve got to give Daniel Farke a lot of credit as well. It was only a few months ago in the summer that there was Gnonto, [Jack Harrison] and [Luis] Sinisterra all trying to negotiate their exit from Elland Road.
“Gnonto was almost at the point where he wasn’t going to play. So to have a full u-turn like that the relationship that he’s got with the manager, with the way that he’s playing and the goals that he’s scoring, the performances that he’s giving him, to now be in February and the player’s open to discussing a new contract, is a great sign.
“It’s very, very difficult to keep a footballer at a football club who doesn’t want to be there. But you’ve got to give Daniel Farke a lot of credit for 1) the way the team’s playing and the results that their getting, but 2) the way that he’s brought the team together.
“Bringing somebody like Gnonto back into the side, who let’s be honest has been a bit-part player up until recently, he’s only just started scoring goals and playing to the level that you would want from him.
“So credit to him personally for being focused and working on his game, playing the way he does, but huge credit to the manager.”
Willy Gnonto developments at Leeds United a ‘huge credit’ to Daniel Farke
Farke has proven to be anything but a pushover in charge at Elland Road despite his soft-spoken nature, as Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra learned when the German made them train away from the first team earlier this term, while Charlie Cresswell looked exit-bound during a disagreement behind the scenes during the winter.
Yet unlike many such managers he has also shown a willingness to leave the door open for reprieves, and Gnonto has grabbed his and made the most of it to the tune of five goals since the start of 2024.
Cresswell has also been brought back into the fold and could yet make an important contribution so it looks like Leeds United are reaping the rewards of Farke’s leadership style so far.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay says the 49ers have been given a new dilemma after an “explosive” experience they had never seen before.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.