Leeds United revenge mission Farke must crush and painful memories of West Stand vow
Saturday's visit of Plymouth Argyle will give Wayne Rooney a chance to banish painful memories of his last Leeds United encounter at Elland Road.
January 1 2024 was the day of Rooney's final match as Birmingham City boss. He arrived in LS11 already under pressure thanks to a run of 14 games that boasted just two wins, and left under darkening skies after a 3-0 defeat by Leeds.
One of the worst performances by an away side seen at Elland Road last season got what it deserved as Patrick Bamford, Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville hit the net. Bamford and Junior Firpo hit the post. Ethan Ampadu came close to his first ever Leeds goal. It was a rout. Georginio Rutter played at 10 for the first time under Daniel Farke and flourished in the freedom it gave him. Rooney became the subject of fun for the home fans and the object of the away fans' ire.
Speaking in the media suite under the West Stand after the game he vowed to fight on as Birmingham boss. A day later he was sacked. “Football is a results business – and I recognise they have not been at the level I wanted them to be," he said in response to the loss of his job. "However, time is the most precious commodity a manager requires and I do not believe 13 weeks was sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed. Personally, it will take me some time to get over this setback. I plan to take some time with my family as I prepare for the next opportunity in my journey as a manager.”
Rooney's next opportunity came five months later when Plymouth Argyle came calling and while their struggles this season have led to a record of just three wins in 12 and a place one point above the relegation zone, it appears unlikely that the Pilgrims hierarchy would follow in Birmingham City footprints should he suffer a similar fate at the hands of Leeds.
The Whites have not exactly been what you could call a bogey side for the ex-England striker throughout his career but they have been responsible for some unhappy moments, besides the New Year's Day nightmare.
He played 90 minutes in the famous, or infamous depending on your allegiance, FA Cup defeat in 2010 when Jermaine Beckford's 19th-minute goal knocked Manchester United out of the competition. A decade later he played 90 minutes and wore the captain's armband in the penultimate Championship outing of the season, when Derby County gave a hungover Leeds side a guard of honour and then lost 3-1.
Though he began his personal record against Leeds with a match-winning goal for Everton at Elland Road and scored in a later 1-1 draw between the two clubs, there is no doubt that he will feel he owes the Whites one. And even if personal revenge or redemption is not on his radar, getting one over on fans who took great delight in his pain at the start of this year would mean something. The odds of that happening are, according to the bookies, 10/1.
For Leeds, this game is a chance to show at the top end of the pitch that a full week on the training ground has paid off. Argyle have struggled to contain teams on the road but Leeds have, in both of Farke's seasons, struggled at times to break teams down or finish off chances when they do. Last weekend at Bristol City was a prime example of the Whites dominating possession, getting into prime goalscoring positions and failing to make it count. Inflicting further pain on Rooney will not be Farke's topic, as he might say, but if he gets what he wants from his team, if he unlocks their ruthlessness as he did on the first day of this year, then it could be another dark day for his opposite number at Elland Road.