Daniel Farke in ‘honest’ assessment of Leeds United defender Sam Byram after Bristol City call
Daniel Farke was full of praise for Sam Byram, who made the call to start despite concerns over his fitness ahead of Leeds United v Bristol City on Saturday (7 October).
Farke hailed his player’s honesty and ability to be self-critical when it comes to his fitness and condition, amid a history of recurring injuries.
The boss was also impressed by Byram’s performance in the game, with his overall quality, positioning and awareness playing a crucial role in securing the 2-1 victory for the home side.
In quotes reported by Leeds Live on Monday (9 October), Farke shared: “Sometimes you have to be a bit careful [when assessing players’ fitness]. Whenever you ask a player if they’re ready to go, then normally everyone wants to play and says ‘Yes, I’m top fit, boss. Let me play, everything’s okay.’
“But Sam is really, really honest because he knows also his history and when you ask him you get to always a really good answer. Never a guarantee, but we got a good feeling that he would be in shape at least to go for many minutes today.
“I’m pleased that he was there each and every second on the pitch because there was this one situation in the second half when we need also his experience but overall his quality in this position, his awareness level. He’s quite important for us.”
Showing an important level of maturity
For Byram to be as honest as Farke claims he is about his own fitness has shown an important level of maturity in his decision-making, not being rash and desperate to play but considering his own long-term fitness and the potential repercussions of rushing back.
Showing this honest self-reflective look at his own career and fitness will serve him well, both immediately and in the long term. His previous injury struggles may have been a setback at the time, but have helped him grow as a person.
Farke’s praise for his defender will also play a key part in his continuing to provide an honest reflection of himself, which could hopefully rub off on the rest of the squad.
As mentioned, being honest about fitness and not rushing back from injury reduces the chances of aggravating the issue, which is better in the long term both for the player and the club’s success.
In other Leeds United news, Daniel Farke has detailed the ‘mental pressure’ his players are under.