Leeds United pre-game worry for Daniel Farke as he admits to Elland Road emotional struggle
Daniel Farke's Leeds United players allayed his pre-game concerns with one of the best performances of the season in their 4-0 win over Bristol City.
Leeds were in imperious form in their final Elland Road outing of the season, controlling the game from start to finish and almost completely nullifying the play-off hopefuls as an attacking threat.
Goals from Ao Tanaka, Willy Gnonto and a stunning Largie Ramazani brace gave Leeds the scoreline their performance deserved and a perfect finish to an impressive home record en route to promotion.
The game came exactly a week after the Whites celebrated promotion and Farke’s players had three days off prior to a return to training on Friday. Farke was worried that the time off and the high of promotion would make for less-than-ideal preparations when facing a play-off contender.
Farke’s pre-game worry
“I'm very proud manager of my boys and the whole staff,” he said. “The week was not the easiest in terms of concentration and focus, we just returned back to professional football training on Friday. Then it's normally not enough when you face a highly motivated and good side like Bristol City, on a really good run. I was a bit worried but I shouldn't be because my lads showed again they can focus, their winning mentality to deliver such a performance. We didn't allow one chance, we scored four fantastic goals and should have scored way more. It was one of the best performances of the whole season under these circumstances. We were so motivated to finish in style. We know we've created the best home record in the history of Leeds United but wanted to finish with a top performance and result.”
A jubilant Elland Road held aloft 33,000 yellow scarves as Farke and his players walked out before the game and the atmosphere inside the ground throughout was electric. The German, whose future has been cast into doubt by reports in national newspapers that 49ers Enterprises are considering a managerial change, admitted he found the emotion difficult to contain - though he did also insist his personal situation was not at the heart of the emotions.
“If I'm honest I'm not struggling that much but today even before the game it was quite hard to stay fully focused, I was quite emotional,” he said. “When you walk in and hear this noice and what it means to people, see the pure joy and pride in their eyes, it was very, very special. You think this is why I signed a contract nearly two years ago. I found a club who was divided, a big gap between the supporters and playing squad. One of my main objectives was to reunite the club. When you come into the stadium and feel this atmosphere and how united the club is again, supporters, staff, players it was a proud moment, pretty emotional.
“I was used to this white wall, normally, today a bit special with yellow scarves, the story of my life, Dortmund, Norwich, and I want to be respectful to my former clubs but this atmosphere was way better. There were a few emotional moments before the game but thank God the players focused on the job.”
Leeds bus parade trophy hope
The win moved Leeds on to 97 points, level with Burnley but sitting above the Clarets on goal difference. A win at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday would crown Leeds as champions with 100 points. Regardless of this weekend’s results Farke and Leeds will embark on an open-top bus parade in the city on Monday to celebrate promotion but Farke wants to have something to hoist above his head.
“The Premier League is the best league in the world, the Championship is the toughest,” he said. “We're pretty fortunate to win promotion, it's so hard earned. There's no league in the world that's more complicated, so many big clubs with history fighting for it. It's crazy that two teams are there on 97 points. Burnley would also definitely deserve to win the title. It would be the icing on the cake and we would value this. I'm used to having some silverware, I don't want to have the open bus parade feeling without silverware.”