Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has overseen arguably the worst week of his time with the club to date as he builds towards the crucial game against Newcastle.
Back-to-back disappointments against Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday were followed by the collapse of the deal to bring Facundo Buonanotte to Leeds, increasing the pressure on head coach Daniel Farke in the process.
Leeds need a boost in their game against Newcastle but will be without the influential midfield pairing of Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka, who both face a spell on the sidelines.
Farke faced a brief period of uncertainty over the summer, with reports suggesting that Leeds could replace him following their promotion to the Premier League. Now, TalkSPORT presenter Sam Matterface has speculated that the Leeds boss could soon be under pressure following a disastrous week.
Leeds United's German head coach Daniel Farke.
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Leeds United could replace Daniel Farke
Speaking on the Premier League All Access podcast, Matterface speculated that Farke could quickly come under scrutiny if Leeds do not quickly bounce back from their cup defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.
According to Matterface, Leeds will make a change at “the first sign of trouble” in a worrying assessment of Farke’s future.
Matterface said, “I’ll be honest with you, I think the Leeds United supporters automatically reacted to that result. And I don’t think he’s on the safest of ground. I’m not saying he’s going to be the next manager to be sacked because I think there’s a bit of a queue going on there.
“You’ve got Nuno Espirito Santo falling out with [Nottingham Forest owner] Evangelos Marinakis.
MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES
“You’ve got [Graham] Potter falling out with everybody. You’ve got Ruben Amorim, who is sort of not sure himself about what he wants to do.
“And then Daniel Farke, who I think at the first sign of trouble, Leeds will make a change. So I think I think those four, if we get to Christmas and all four are still in place, I’d be absolutely gobsmacked.
“If three of them are in place, I’d be gobsmacked. If two of them are in place, I’d be surprised. So interesting to see what happens next with them.”
Daniel Farke cups his ears to the Leeds support.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
How does Daniel Farke’s record compare to past Leeds United managers
Although the optimism which followed Leeds’ opening round win over Everton has quickly evaporated, Farke has earned the chance to try to keep the Whites in the top flight.
Heading into the game against Newcastle, according to the stats from LUFCData, Farke has the best win percentage of any Leeds manager in history who has led the club in a minimum of 20 games.
Leeds managers by win percentage (minimum 20 games):
Daniel Farke – 57.9%
Don Revie – 53.3%
Gary McAllister – 50%
David O’Leary – 49.8%
Simon Grayson – 49.7%
Farke has taken charge of Leeds 107 times, achieving 62 wins, 26 draws and 92 defeats, at a win rate of 57.9%. He sits ahead of legendary boss Don Revie, who won 53.3% of his games in charge and Gary McAllister, whose win percentage was 50%.
Although this does not put Farke in the same category as a coach such as Revie, it shows that he has succeeded during his time at Elland Road. While this has been a difficult week, Leeds should not make a change without giving Farke a fair crack of the whip in the top flight.