The pressure is on Daniel Farke at Leeds United but Harry Gray might be the one card he can play to help relieve it.
Leeds United are staring down the barrel now. They might still be above the relegation zone but only by a point and their comfortable run of early fixtures has ended.
Daniel Farke desperately needed some positive results away at Burnley and Nottingham Forest this past month, as Leeds won’t be playing a side below them again for a long time, if ever, this season.
The fixture list after the international break is a terrifying prospect. First it’s Aston Villa and then an onslaught of games against Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Brentford, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Liverpool again, Manchester United and Newcastle United.
That is an absolutely brutal run that, with the way Leeds are currently playing, could leave them stranded in the relegation zone by the turn of the new year.
Farke desperately needs to make improvements, with scoring more goals his chief concern. Could Harry Gray be the solution and Farke’s saving grace?
Harry Gray speaks to Daniel Farke during Leeds United FC v Stoke City FC - Sky Bet Championship
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Harry Gray deserves a chance in the Premier League
In fairness to Farke, he has not really had the chance to give Gray a go in the top flight so far, as the teenager has been dealing with a hip flexor injury that kept him sidelined for over a month.
Thankfully, he’s come back and instantly hit his stride again. Gray has three in three games since returning, after scoring against Forest U21s and a brace against Accrington Stanley’s senior side in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night.
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That’s now seven in nine games for Gray this season, just three behind Leeds’ 10 goals in the Premier League so far.
Obviously, the levels of football are worlds apart and the untested, not even fully grown 17-year-old, might struggle with the physicality of the Premier League, but he is a striker in form and clearly has the ability to find the back of the net. That’s something Leeds are desperate for.
Only Wolves have scored fewer goals than Leeds this season and if they don’t start scoring soon, they will be in serious trouble.
Lukas Nmecha showed promise with his fine finish at Forest but Dominic Calvert-Lewin has simply not delivered on that front and Joel Piroe is clearly not deemed good enough.
It’s a sad state of affairs that Leeds may have to rely upon a youngster, but Gray certainly deserves a chance.
Harry Gray could help relieve the pressure on Daniel Farke
There’s another way Farke could benefit from giving Gray an opportunity, even if he doesn’t solve the crisis in front of goal.
Leeds fans are desperate to see local lads get in the first-team regardless of who they are, but the fact Gray comes with his family background just makes the clamour to see him succeed all the more intense.
So if Farke shows willingness to give youth a chance, even in such trying circumstances, that’ll surely buy him some extra breathing room with supporters.
The pressure is on the manager and there have already been calls for him to be sacked from some quarters. He hasn’t lost everyone yet but the fixtures to come do not look likely to relieve much pressure.
So instead, using Gray could be the way to reduce the heat upon him, for a short time at least.