Farke ball may not be quite as exciting as Bielsa ball but it matters not for those of a Leeds United persuasion right now.
Let's not count our chickens before they have hatched but Leeds now look well set to remain in the Premier League next season.
That would be quite the achievement for the Elland Road outfit who, alongside Sunderland, are set to buck the trend of newly promoted sides going straight back down.
Stach-Ampadu-Justin-Struijk
While it was a slow start for Leeds, which saw Daniel Farke at risk of being sacked, they have been brilliant since December, losing just two of their last 16 games in all competitions.
A run of that kind is pretty unheard of for Leeds at this level in the modern era, but they have a few men to thank, not just Farke, but goalscorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin and midfield titan Anton Stach.
How Calvert-Lewin and Stach are carrying Leeds to safety
While the 49ers may not have spent the cash quite as lavishly as fellow promoted side Sunderland did, who notably acquired Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen, there is a lot to like about the recent recruitment policy.
Leeds did not sign any genuine superstars over the summer and on paper, their business perhaps looked rather underwhelming.
They craved more options in the final third and in the shape of Noah Okafor, Calvert-Lewin and Felix Nmecha, with the latter two arriving on free transfers, there wasn't much fanfare.
Dominic-Calvert-Lewin
Well, on reflection, they got their business pretty spot on. Of course, they could have added a sprinkle of extra quality but what Farke and Co did was bring in a number of big and imposing players. After all, the Premier League is one of the most physical divisions in the world.
In Calvert-Lewin, they have struck gold. The striker has spent large parts of recent seasons out injured, scoring just ten Premier League goals across the last two campaigns combined.
Well, so far, the centre-forward has managed to avoid any long-term niggles and has found the back of the net on ten occasions. It's his best return for years and it's even sparked conversations that he could make the England squad for the World Cup.
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That said, Stach is perhaps making the biggest impact right now. He's taking a leaf out of Ian Harte's book, crashing home three free-kicks in Leeds colours since arriving in a £17.4m deal last summer.
He perhaps saved one of his finest performances for the club for the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa last weekend. His free-kick was jaw-dropping, curling it beyond Emi Martinez from all of 30 yards out. Take that.
While both have impressed, arguably neither have been quite as consistent as the skipper.
Leeds star is worth even more than Stach and Calvert-Lewin
It's safe to say that Stach and Calvert-Lewin are more than repaying the wages spent on them and are playing a huge part in Leeds' bid to beat the drop.
Yet, the beating heart of this team is undoubtedly Ethan Ampadu who is showcasing precisely why he's Farke's captain.
The Welshman arrived from Chelsea in a mere £7m deal back in 2023 and since then, he's only gone from strength to strength in Yorkshire.
Ampadu-Leeds-promotion
He has been a pillar of consistency and indeed availability. During his first year at Elland Road, the 25-year-old didn't miss a single game, playing all 46 matches of the normal league season and then featuring in all three play-off matches. He didn't miss a single minute of league action either.
While their attempts to go up ended in heartbreak on that occasion, Ampadu came back and was rock solid again, albeit he did miss 22 games for club and country with knee issues.
Ethan Ampadu's Leeds career
Season
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26
Stats are league only
That aside, he has been a warrior in Leeds colours, a "Rolls-Royce" in the words of his manager. He's proven as much since playing top-flight football with the club.
The Wales international has featured in 24 of 27 league games, missing just three fixtures through suspension and a ligament injury.
Once again, he's been an imperative part of this Leeds squad and has taken to his role as a holding midfielder with ease. While he played the vast majority of his minutes in the Championship at centre-back, he's found a permanent home at the base of Farke's midfield in the Premier League.
Evoking memories of Kalvin Phillips in his prime, the former Chelsea man has made more tackles per game (2.3) and more interceptions per match (1.5) than any player in the squad.
All of that said, it's perhaps no surprise to learn that, according to Football Transfers' expected transfer value model (xTV), Ampadu (£20m) is now the second most valuable player in the Leeds squad behind Wilfried Gnonto (£23m).
Ampadu
To put those numbers into context, he's worth even more than Stach and Calvert-Lewin who are both valued at around £15m. That's an indication of just how strong a signing Ampadu has been since arriving. Leeds have well and truly hit gold on this one.
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