Adam Pope shares Leeds United ‘circus’ verdict after 2-0 win v QPR
Adam Pope has backed the playstyle that Daniel Farke uses at Leeds United and has shared that another “circus” at Elland Road isn’t welcome.
The Whites are third in the Championship and are just two points adrift of league leaders Sunderland after their recent performances in the second tier.
Writing for the BBC Sport website (13 November), Pope shared his thoughts on Farke’s chosen playstyle.
“Is it really time for Farke to bring on the dancing horses? The Big Top at Elland Road has seen enough one-trick ponies and clown-fest capitulations on and off the field to have supporters walking a verbal tightrope through the jibes of their rivals. Another circus is not welcome,” he wrote.
“Farke’s show may not have the audience gasping for breath throughout, but there is more than enough in it to sense there will be a grand finale worth waiting around for.
“In between, let the ringmaster decide when to juggle and when to unleash the big cats.
“At some point this season, the head will be in the lion’s mouth and then the jeopardy not currently felt will reappear for those who crave it”.
Daniel Farke is the best manager to guide Leeds United to promotion
Indeed, Farke’s defensively-sound tactics can often leave fans a lot to be desired but the fact his team plays this way and still managed to come away with all three points is a testament to how strong the German’s decision-making is.
Farke’s usual 4-2-3-1 set-up is solid. It has enough players in both defence and attack to cause havoc at either end of the pitch.
Granted, due to the wingers often being needed to track back, a lot of the attacking work is left down to the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe but it’s a system that seems to be working for the West Yorkshire outfit.
Willy Gnonto is undoubtedly one of Leeds’ best players and that’s been shown by his stellar form this term.
The amount of work he puts in both defence and attack is second to none and is one of the main reasons why the Whites’ system works.
Farke’s playstyle may bore some fans but realistically, most would rather take boring wins than losing every other game due to an increased pressure on consistently attacking the opponent’s net.
In other Leeds news, the Whites may have found their long-term Crysencio Summerville successor in a “fantastic” academy gem.
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