Leeds United manager Daniel Farke is feeling a little less pressure after his side got their season back on track with a win over Millwall at Elland Road on Wednesday night. They are back at the summit of the Championship table on 79 points, two ahead of second-placed Sheffield United and four ahead of Burnley, who are third in the standings. Leeds have a tricky trip at Queens Park Rangers, where they have not won since 2017, but Farke’s mood has lightened since the win over the Lions and it reflected in his pre-match press conference where he aimed a cheeky dig at legendary former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Whites are back in control of the automatic promotion race after the win over Millwall and they are again red hot favourites to return to the Premier League at the end of the season.
A tough away trip to Loftus Road on Saturday awaits them and the appointment of a referee under whom Leeds have had a patchy record, won’t really please the players or the fans.
However, the mood at Elland Road is lighter after the team got back on winning ways following two bad results, where they dropped five crucial Championship points.
Daniel Farke is looking forward to the game and Leeds are keen to ensure that they win at Loftus Road and get into next week’s international break at the summit of the Championship table.
And it is while talking about the international break, the Leeds boss didn’t miss a chance to take a dig at an old enemy of Leeds in the form of former Manchester United boss Ferguson.
The days of Sir Alex Ferguson are over – Daniel Farke
Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles and three Champions Leagues as Manchester United manager but he was also known for his underhand tricks, which made him a favourite villain for the Red Devils’ arch rivals.
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The Scot was known for his notorious ways of withdrawing Manchester United players from international duty during key parts of the season using various excuses, including injuries, which used to heal as soon as the international break was over.
Farke admitted that he is nervous as most managers are about some of his big players picking up injuries during the break, but conceded that the days of Ferguson calling up an international manager and withdrawing his players are over.
However, the Leeds boss did concede that the break is also nice for some players as they could get away from the intense pressure of a promotion race and come back feeling mentally fresher.
“The days of Sir Alex Ferguson are over, call up national teams and say no. Days of resisting sending players are sadly over”, Farke said in a press conference.
“You are a bit nervous, no one picks up an injury.
“Overall it’s beneficial for us, lots of load, mental pressure fighting for promotion. We have many emotional games where we invest a lot, beneficial to calm the load during the first week, to prepare for a good run-in.”
Leeds fans will love any shade thrown at Manchester United
Leeds and Manchester United have not been in the same league for more than three years in the last two decades, but the hatred between the two fanbases is still as fresh as ever.
A trip to Elland Road will be a fixture Manchester United fans will look forward to if the Whites get promoted and vice-versa for the Leeds fans when it comes to visiting Old Trafford.
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There is no love lost between the two supporter bases and over the years it has often gotten ugly between the two sets of fans during and after games.
Leeds fans already love Farke but this dig at Ferguson and Manchester United will further endear him to a set of supporters who see Manchester United as their eternal enemy.
The Leeds boss will love to take his team to Old Trafford next season if the Whites get promoted to the top flight at the end of the ongoing campaign.
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