Burnely didn't let Daniel Farke rest last season (Credits: Imago Images)
Daniel Farke is under some heat ahead of his Leeds United side taking on West Ham at Elland Road on Friday night. He needs his team to pull off a result at home and release some of the intense pressure he is under due to a run of one win in seven games and back-to-back league defeats.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to relegation rivals Burnley exposed the vulnerabilities in Leeds’ side, which had been masked by their early-season resilience and fighting spirit.
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Leeds do not have the forwards who can score regularly, and their consistent style of football makes them predictable to play against, especially when teams are happy to drop back and not have the ball.
Farke’s future is under the scanner ahead of Leeds taking on West Ham at home on Friday night, and another defeat could send him over the edge at Elland Road.
The Hammers are struggling as well, but they have one player who could really make the difference against a Leeds side who are also on the edge.
West Ham star could end Farke’s reign as Leeds manager
West Ham are languishing in 19th place in the Premier League table, and have emerged as one of the biggest contenders to go down to the Championship at the end of the season.
The Hammers replaced Graham Potter with Nuno Espirito Santo after West Ham lost four of their opening five league games. However, their form has not improved dramatically.
They earned a point against Everton in Nuno’s first game in charge, but the Hammers have lost their last two, including a tame 2-0 home defeat against Brentford on Monday night.
However, amid the ruins, Jarrod Bowen has still looked West Ham’s best player this season, scoring three goals in eight Premier League games.
The West Ham captain is their most potent attacking threat, and if they are to get a result at Leeds on Friday night, he will have to turn up.
Bowen is the kind of forward that could trouble a Leeds defence as he is physical, but he also has the pace to get behind the backline.
His ability to take on defenders and dribble past them will come in handy for a West Ham side who are going to play on the counter on Friday night.
His performances have dropped as his teammates are not creating enough for him to thrive. However, he is still responsible for carrying the ball into the final third and being the most potent attacking threat in the team.
If the best of Bowen turns up on Friday night, he could be a real handful for the Leeds defenders to handle.
Will Farke change his defence?
The threat of Bowen will be huge for Leeds, and it may end up deciding whether the home side get a win or drop more points at home.
Pascal Struijk has struggled in recent weeks, and he again made an error last weekend that led to Burnley scoring their second goal, which killed the game.
Farke has insisted that changing the team for the sake of it is something he doesn’t want to do. However, the Dutchman must make way for Jaka Bijol.
The Slovenian has been patiently waiting for his opportunity since joining the club in the summer, when he was seen as an upgrade on the defenders Leeds had in the squad.
If Bijol is on the bench again on Friday night, and Struijk in the starting eleven, Farke may find it hard to escape the accusation of favouritism and blind loyalty towards certain players.
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