Troy Deeney makes ‘really bad’ Daniel Farke admission after Leeds win v Sunderland
Troy Deeney has admitted his view of Daniel Farke sounds “really bad” after Leeds United defeated Sunderland on Monday.
Farke‘s side produced a late comeback of Lazarus-like proportions to beat Sunderland with the very last action of the game at Elland Road, and returned to the top of the Championship table in the process.
The Whites have now won 72 points from just 33 matches and are well on course to seal their return to the Premier League after two seasons away, and this would secure a third promotion on Farke’s record.
The German’s two previously-promoted Norwich City sides, however, came straight back down the following campaign, and doubts linger over whether Farke could keep a club of Leeds’ stature up.
Troy Deeney expresses Daniel Farke doubts at Leeds United
Speaking on talkSPORT (18 February, 9:52am), Jeff Stelling and Troy Deeney discussed the aftermath of United’s last-gasp win over Sunderland, and what a Premier League future may hold for Leeds.
Asked by Stelling about Farke’s prospects leading Leeds in the top flight, Deeney said: “[He’ll] take them up, yes. But keep them up? No. I haven’t seen enough to say that [Farke] can keep them up.
“I think there’ll be investment; I think Leeds as a club will change from what they’ve been doing over the previous years, but I haven’t seen enough in Daniel Farke.
“This is going to sound really bad considering he’s going to probably have three promotions – I haven’t seen him be able to change his style and adapt to staying in the Premier League.
“I’m going to say no, just because I haven’t seen it before, but I hope he does obviously.”
Daniel Farke can rebuild Premier League reputation at Leeds United
Farke’s prowess at Championship level is evident – and exactly the reason Leeds hired him upon their return to the second-tier in 2023 – with him being one of the best managers in the competition’s history.
Winning promotion, and the Championship title, in two of his four completed seasons at Norwich and Leeds respectively is no mean feat, yet his Premier League record is absolutely dismal by comparison.
Sacked midway through his second season in the top flight with Norwich, Farke has accumulated just six wins in 49 games as a Premier League manager; the Canaries finishing rock-bottom on both occasions.
At Elland Road, however, circumstances will be wildly different if and when Farke leads the Whites back to the promised land, in a stark contrast to the lack of investment he had to deal with twice at Norwich.
The 49ers Enterprises group have big plans in LS11, not least for Elland Road itself, but expect transfer dealings aplenty this summer in an effort to avoid the mistakes of United’s previous top-flight spell.
New signings are expected to be high in numbers at Leeds, with quality to finally give Farke a squad capable of competing at Premier League level, and the jury is out on whether the 48-year-old can do so.