Daniel Farke is fighting for his job at Leeds United after back-to-back Premier League defeats and one win in seven. The 2-0 loss to relegation rivals Burnley has piled the pressure on the German coach, and another such performance against West Ham at home on Friday night could end his time at Elland Road.
Farke has credit in the bank with the 49ers after earning Leeds promotion to the Premier League. However, his previous top-flight record means that he is always on a shorter leash at the very top level.
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The 49ers have made a mess of bringing in a new manager at Rangers, and it would be wrong if they were not looking at options who could replace Farke, even if they want to give more time to the Leeds manager.
A few names have already cropped up who could replace the German at Elland Road, and Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior has emerged as one of the managers Leeds are believed to be keeping tabs on.
Liam Rosenior could be a good fit for Leeds United
The former Hull City boss is making a name for himself in France, with his Strasbourg side currently sitting third in the Ligue 1 table this season.
He did a good job at Hull and took an average team to the brink of the playoff spots in the 2023/24 season, only for him to get sacked over differences with the owners.
Rosenior is rebuilding his coaching career in France, and his Strasbourg side have surprised many this season, including a 3-2 win over European champions PSG away from home.
Strasbourg are just two points behind league leaders Marseille, and a point behind PSG in the Ligue 1 standings, and have been the surprise package of the season.
The former Hull boss has shown tactical flexibility and coaching innovation at Strasbourg and is emerging as one of the bright young managers of European football.
Strasbourg are scoring goals this season despite not being too dominant with possession and have been creating chances consistently, averaging more than two goals per game.
However, it has not necessarily come at the cost of defensive stability as the French side look solid at the back while getting the job done at the other end of the pitch.
Rosenior has managed to find a solid balance between defence and attack while ensuring his Strasbourg side mix up their game with patient build-ups as well as going direct with long balls.
Rosenior could be a decent successor to Daniel Farke
The Leeds manager has often been accused of lacking tactical flexibility and playing the same brand of football, regardless of the opposition.
It worked in the Championship because Leeds were the far better side, but in the Premier League, it is a problem, with Burnley exposing the frailties on Saturday.
Rosenior has shown that he can be tactically flexible and play differently when needed, rather than remaining wedded to the same style of football.
Strasbourg are definitely scoring more goals than Leeds, but that could be down to the talent available to Rosenior. However, the French side are also a bit better than Leeds defensively and are as physical as the Whites, if not more.
Rosenior’s side are also not afraid to play on the counter, and it was in ample display when they beat Paris Saint-Germain away from home, despite not dominating the ball.
A mid-season change is always complicated, but if Leeds decide to part ways with Farke at some point, Rosenior could be a good fit to continue some of the good things about the German’s football while making the Whites tactically more flexible.
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