Farke ‘risks repeating Leeds howler from last season’ over outfielder selection
Daniel Farke is showing signs that he hasn’t learned from his past mistakes as Leeds United’s promotion campaign continues to stutter.
The Whites were held to a 2-2 draw against Swansea City on Saturday (29 March) as a couple of Illan Meslier mistakes proved to be costly.
Leeds were handed last-minute heartbreak at Elland Road when they conceded a 96th-minute equaliser, which might have a devastating impact.
The Yorkshire giants have dropped down from the top of the Championship as Sheffield United have gone two points ahead of them.
Even more of a concern for Leeds fans will be the fact that they are now level on points with Burnley, as only goal difference is keeping them in the automatic promotion spot.
Daniel Farke is taking a big risk
Farke opted to start Ethan Ampadu against Swansea, despite the club captain only just returning from a knee injury.
The Wales international was thrown immediately into the deep end, but he struggled to adapt to the pace of the game and ended up being replaced after 58 minutes.
| Match Stats | Ampadu |
| Accurate Passes | 23/32 (72%) |
| Touches | 41 |
| Accurate Long Balls | 1/4 (25%) |
| Ground Duels Won | 3/6 (50%) |
While including Ampadu in the squad wasn’t the sole reason Leeds were unable to take all three points against Swansea, he certainly didn’t aid his teammates in the manner people expected.
Leeds opted to play unfit players last season
Playing an unfit player is always a gamble, and sometimes that is a risk that proves to be worthwhile if things work out and they immediately get back on form.
However, Ampadu showed that he’s perhaps not quite as match sharp as Farke may have first thought, and that’s where he needs to be careful.
While playing the former Chelsea star might add quality, if he’s not able to immediately adapt, then it’s not worth doing as it ultimately hurts the squad in the moment.
This is something that Farke did last season towards the run-in in where he gambled on certain players such as Georginio Rutter, and it left fans frustrated when those players were evidently not fit.
Ampadu was the exact same against Swansea, and now the Leeds boss must show he’s able to learn from it and pick the fittest squad possible, regardless of quality.