Phil Hay shares 49ers’ stance on Daniel Farke after Leeds United lose playoff final
Phil Hay has revealed that the 49ers Enterprises are “minded to stick with” Daniel Farke despite the playoff final defeat Leeds United suffered against Southampton.
The Whites failed to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, losing 1-0 to Southampton at Wembley.
However, the club’s owners retain faith in the manager they hired last summer and have even “discussed plans for pre-season” with the German.
Hay wrote for The Athletic (26 May): “Sources close to the 49ers have indicated over the past few weeks that they were minded to stick with Farke however the season ended.
“He has three years left on his contract and Leeds’ owners believe the general picture of his performance is a positive one, regardless of Sunday’s defeat. They like his demeanour and temperament, and they appreciate the fact that he does not often talk himself into trouble with the media.
“They have already discussed plans for pre-season in Europe. Moreover, to this point they have heavily backed him, with recruitment and a squad Farke specifically asked for. And results as a whole were very strong.”
Are Leeds United right to stick with Daniel Farke?
Despite the disappointment of missing out on promotion, Farke has made a strong case that he is the right man to continue leading Leeds from the dugout going forward.
The Whites produced an exceptionally impressive domestic season in which they accrued 90 points and posted the division’s second-best defensive record, conceding just 43 times in 46 Championship games.
However, they missed out on automatic promotion due to the even better seasons delivered by Ipswich Town (96 points) and winners Leicester City (97 points).
Although Leeds’ squad may have to be dismantled and put back together again for financial reasons this summer, Farke has proven he is capable of building a side worthy of winning promotion and will be confident of delivering at the second time of asking.
In other Leeds United news, Dan James wowed a Sky Sports commentator with an “incredible” moment against Southampton.
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