Phil Hay shares new Daniel Farke transfer joke at Leeds United
Following a turbulent and unpredictable summer at Elland Road, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke joked to the media that he, at least, would still be at the club on Saturday, as shared by Phil Hay of The Athletic.
Farke saw a number of key players leave the club over the course of the summer, joking that at least he would not be leaving on transfer deadline day, during a press conference on Friday 1 September.
The joke was likely made to hide a hint of frustration at the club’s situation, as Luis Sinisterra departed in the final big loss of a summer in which the club lost several stars of their Premier League tenure.
While addressing the media ahead of Leeds’ Championship clash with Sheffield Wednesday on 1 September, Farke made the comment upon his exit from the press conference: “I’ll be here on Saturday, I can promise you that.”
Laughing through the pain
As much as what the Leeds boss said was obviously a joke, it’s not too far-fetched to suggest there will have been some pain behind the laughter.
Having lost star players such as Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson and more in the build-up to his first season as the boss at Elland Road, Farke can afford to feel rightly hard done by.
The German will be expected to achieve lofty heights this season, with the demand of getting back to the Premier League at the first time of asking looming over him despite already having the challenge of rebuilding the squad and overhauling the playing style.
Farke has arrived at a club where the philosophy has been all over the place. The high-tempo, high-pressing style implemented by Marcelo Bielsa was altered slightly by Jesse Marsch – but similar principles were there. The club then opted to rip these standards up and hire Sam Allardyce in a desperate bid for survival.
The new boss will now have to reinvent the style completely, with his patient passing style likely to take some getting used to – making an already difficult job just that much harder.
In other Leeds United news, one Leeds player has withdrawn from international duty with injury issues.