Daniel Farke must change long-term Leeds stat to avoid Elland Road sack
Leeds United fans are in disbelief as their side have slowed to a run of just one win in their last five.
The Whites have been knocked off their perch in the Championship with Sheffield United and Burnley having won at the weekend, while they were stunned by Swansea City late on at Elland Road (29 March).
Daniel Farke is scrambling around for the answers as to why Leeds become sluggish at this point in seemingly every season.
Leeds United record in April exposed as fans panic
Leeds United fans will remember all too well the desperate patch late last season in which they gave up their automatic promotion bid with four defeats from their final six games.
Leicester City and Ipswich Town instead took the leading spots, with Southampton overcoming Leeds in a heartbreaking Wembley play-off final. The trio now look to be on their way straight back down from the Premier League amid the ever-widening gulf between quality and funding in the top two divisions.
As highlighted by the Yorkshire Evening Post (1 April), Leeds have taken just 28 per cent of available points from April across the last 11 seasons.
It is a deeply alarming statistic, and Farke knows that last term was essentially his only practice run, with Leeds having only a year previously dropped out of the Premier League.
Whether it boils down to stamina, mental pressure or a simple rise in performance from opponents looking to take the scalp of the EFL’s largest entity, Leeds fans know their team must do better to see out successful seasons, whichever division they are competing in.
Farke likely to face chop if Leeds fail in promotion bid
Leeds earning promotion at the second attempt is likely to be what saves Farke his job at Elland Road.
Granted, there have been far worse managers to walk through the door – Leeds fans could probably compile a dossier as long as the average size of that of Marcelo Bielsa – but Farke came in with a clear remit.
Having won promotion to the Premier League twice with Norwich City, it is simple and clear why Farke was brought in by Paraag Marathe and his regime – the size of the club completely enveloping that of at least half of the Premier League.
| POS | Championship form table 2024-25 – last five games | PLD | PTS | GD |
| 10 | Sheffield Wednesday | 5 | 7 | +2 |
| 11 | Stoke City | 5 | 7 | +1 |
| 12 | LEEDS UNITED | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| 13 | West Bromwich Albion | 5 | 6 | 0 |
But those clubs have sustained a highly successful model, while Farke and Leeds are left to pick the bones out of an all-too-familiar run of form.
A trip to survival-chasing Luton beckons next, before play-off-chasing Middlesbrough host the Whites the following midweek.
With the down spell occurring in March this year, Farke will be doing everything possible to this time around ensure a strong April and get the team over a non-negotiable hurdle.