Daniel Farke shuts down Ao Tanaka’s assessment: ‘There’s no need for it’
Ao Tanaka hasn’t had the same level of influence that he enjoyed at Leeds last season.
The Japan international played a central role in the Whites’ promotion-winning campaign in the Championship last term, but he has found opportunities to impress hard to come by in the Premier League.
Tanaka has started just three games for Leeds in the league so far this season, and he faces greater competition in the midfield after the summer arrivals of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach.
There is quiet optimism at Elland Road at the moment after a bright start to the season, but Daniel Farke has just weighed in with his take on some controversial recent comments from Tanaka.
Daniel Farke dismisses self-critical Ao Tanaka statements
Tanaka received a rare start for Leeds in their recent home win over West Ham, but he raised eyebrows with some self-deprecating comments that he made after the game.
The 27-year-old produced a typically tireless display in the engine room for the West Yorkshire outfit, but was notably critical of his own performance when assessing his display after the game.
“It was not the best performance for me, but I need to improve my quality every game,” Tanaka said, according to Leeds Live.
“And because this is the Premier League, I can’t play high performance every game. I will try my best every game.”
The midfielder’s take on his own display was somewhat surprising, and his comments were raised to Farke as part of his pre-match press conference on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Brighton.
The German stood by his star, insisting that Tanaka had little reason to be so harshly critical of himself.
“I like if someone is humble and self-critical and puts his demands high,” the boss said.
“But he (Tanaka) doesn’t have to say this. There’s no reason to be so self-critical.
“He can’t be blamed for his injury against Arsenal. Then he’s been out for a few weeks, missing many minutes – it was a solid performance. I didn’t expect him to be man of the match.
“He can prove he can play at this level. There’s even more to come. He needs to step up in a few areas, but no reason to be overly self-critical.”
Ao Tanaka must be patient at Leeds this season
Tanaka’s lack of football for Leeds so far this term has been a testament to the quality starts that Longstaff and Stach have made to their careers in LS11.
The duo have been standout performers for the Whites, and that has made it hard for those on the fringes of the midfield ranks to force their way into contention.
Nevertheless, it is a long season, and Tanaka must show patience and ensure that he is ready to take his chances when they are presented to him by the manager.
He had never played above the Bundesliga 2 level in European football prior to his move to Leeds, so it will naturally take him some time to adapt to the Premier League.
In a way, it is promising to see that he holds himself to such high standards, but Farke will be keen to try and fill him with confidence to ensure that such a level of self-criticism becomes a one-off and not the norm.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Leeds United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @motleedsnews