Good Morning. It's Wednesday 27th August, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road…
Not fit to wear the shirt
The Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday was not merely a defeat; it was a stark reminder that despite guiding the Whites to automatic promotion, Daniel Farke is out of his depth. Just days after a humiliating 5-0 league thrashing, this second-round tie against a Championship "crisis club" – fielding a team with an average age of 21, including five teenagers – was precisely the fixture manager Daniel Farke needed to steady the ship.
The expectation, both from the team and undoubtedly the travelling fans, was a straightforward victory against what was, on paper, a significantly weaker, makeshift side in a sparsely populated stadium. Yet, Leeds’ first-half display was nothing short of dire: slow, ponderous, and disjointed, lacking any semblance of urgency or creative spark. They played as if merely turning up constituted a win, failing to grasp the opportunity for a morale-boosting response.
Even a slight second-half improvement couldn't mask the fundamental failings. The match raised serious questions about Farke’s tactical choices, the quality of their recent signings, and the players’ collective hunger and fight. The penalty shootout, sealed by three consecutive Leeds failures, was a fittingly ignominious end to an evening that underscored a troubling lack of desire and conviction. They got exactly what their lacklustre approach merited, leaving more questions than answers ahead of another crucial league fixture.
Farke hurt and embarrassed
Daniel Farke admitted he felt ‘hurt’ and ‘embarrassed’ after last nights result, and made an odd claim on the scale of the upset. Eight of the Owls players involved last night had played less than five senior matches.
Out of their outfield starting 10, skipper for the night Jamal Lowe was the only Wednesday player to have earned more than Gabriel Otegbayo’s haul of 18 first team appearances.
We have to take all of the criticism and we are self-critical because out of all the chances we should put four or five goals to bed. “It’s always a bit annoying and you feel a bit embarrassed as a Premier League side, but we have been involved in so many games on this level, especially in the cup – this is why there are so many surprises and shock results.
Even the team in the lower league can win such a game. Today was one of those days and congratulations to Sheffield Wednesday. You can feel for them (the fans). We’re sorry anyhow. We feel a bit embarrassed that we don’t go through in such a game. We can just say ‘sorry’ because they made the trip and wanted to celebrate.