Daniel Farke enjoys learning about the Leeds United-Manchester United rivalry from club legend Eddie Gray, but says his “naive” players have lessons to take on board too about how to play the modern game.
Farke's Whites are at Manchester United on Monday looking for their first league win there since 1981.
They go there at the end of a Premier League weekend which saw West Ham United (three) and Nottingham Forest (one) pick up points on them but not Tottenham Hotspur, in the relegation zone for the first time this season, three points behind Leeds with six games left.
But the game has a historical context too.
This is the first time Farke has managed Leeds at Old Trafford but he is well versed in the rivalry thanks to club ambassador Gray.
It was at its peak during Gray's playing days, with Leeds winning fiercely-contested FA Cup semi-finals in 1965, when the winger was still in the youth ranks, and in 1970.
“Eddie likes to speak about the great days and I like to listen,” said Farke. “It's always good when you have someone who is so experienced, a club legend, who speaks about former years. I quite like it.
“I love to speak to former managers and coaches from different times, because the tactical approach was slightly different but all the stories about man-management and how the game was, we can learn a lot out of it.
NAIVE: Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has suggested Pascal Struijk's honesty cost him when Axel Disasi equalised for West Ham United in the FA Cup (Image: Steve Bardens/Getty Images)placeholder image
NAIVE: Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has suggested Pascal Struijk's honesty cost him when Axel Disasi equalised for West Ham United in the FA Cup (Image: Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
“Football is always in waves and everything comes back.
“It's important to listen and to take into account how much it means to everyone.
“We were fighting more or less for the English title (then). It will take a while until we are ready to fight for the Premier League title, but we're on a good path to come closer to a top team like Man United was in the last years.”
Part of that progression is about being better when leading in games, and more streetwise generally, according to Farke.
HISTORY LESSONS: Eddie Gray (right)placeholder image
HISTORY LESSONS: Eddie Gray (right)
Their FA Cup quarter-final win over West Ham showed both, when Leeds needed a penalty shoot-out to progress after leading 2-0 in the 90th minute. Leeds have lost 17 points from winning positions this season.
“First of all, I would have to say I think we should have been rewarded with a penalty for Anton (Stach)'s situation (when he was tackled by Max Kilman in the first half),” argued Farke.
“I asked the fourth official and he said it was a natural coming together. My player strikes a ball to the goal and he (Kilman) he tackles into him and his ligaments are done.
“The second answer was because he got the shot away it's not a penalty.
“I think this is the wrong message – what does it mean? If we strike a goal, then the opponent is allowed to tackle my player and perhaps to injure him?
“You can also speak about the (West Ham) equaliser – high foot, dangerous play. If Pascal Struijk goes down and rolls around, I think it's definitely ruled out.
“You can say, come on, we have to be a bit less naive. Perhaps he should pretend to be hit in the face.
“We will learn to be perhaps a bit more smart in how we react.
“I'm not sure if we actually want to pretend there is a cut or whatever but if a foul is not given for this, then we should perhaps behave a bit more maturely.
“But apart from this, we could have killed the game with the third goal,. We had good chances to do it, and also to be a bit better in possession, to control the game a bit more, to not allow the opponent too many crossing situations.
“It was a great game to watch because it was so open, also in added time, sometimes end-to-end, but I think in the end we could have done the game management a bit better and controlled the game a bit more.
“But I think we should have been rewarded with a penalty and also I think the equaliser should have been ruled out.”