We are back? Daniel Farke unsatisfied with one thing despite Leeds United comforting win against Sheffield revealing “Not over the moon for mere away win”
Leeds United asserted their dominance over their Yorkshire rivals with an intense start, taking the lead through Brenden Aaronson. They then solidified their control in the second half with a composed finish by Daniel James.
Despite chances for Mateo Joseph and Pascal Struijk, James’ goal effectively sealed the outcome, leaving little doubt about the victory. This win was particularly significant given the backdrop of adversity and fan discontent.
Leeds had failed to secure a victory in their first three matches of the season, and the absences of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter left manager Daniel Farke with limited senior options. The bench on Friday night included two goalkeepers and 16-year-old prospect Sam Chambers. However, the team’s performance did not reflect any signs of struggle.
“It was definitely our best performance of the season, a significant step forward, nearly a perfect away performance,” Farke commented.
“I’m really pleased. We dominated possession and played bravely against one of the best in-form teams. In 2024, we’ve collected the most points, with Sheffield Wednesday in second. Their first home game was a 4-0 win, and they play aggressively, pressing high.
“To come here and dominate, we didn’t allow any significant chances—maybe just a long throw-in and a header. We were very dominant in possession and better at creating chances. The first goal was a textbook example of possession football from build-up to finish, and the second came after a well-executed ball recovery. I’m not overly excited just because of the away win—we had many last season—but to deliver under such difficult circumstances, I’m really happy for the boys.”
Willy Gnonto was highlighted as a standout player by Sheffield Wednesday’s manager Danny Rohl, and Farke agreed, describing the Italian international as ‘unplayable’ at times during the match.
“We’ve been working a lot with Willy in recent months,” said Farke. “We want him to be more flexible in his movements, covering different positions rather than being static. We work with him individually, showing him different scenarios. He was unplayable at times, though he still needs to be a bit smarter in handling certain situations on the pitch. It’s a step forward for him, but it’s what we expect from a player of his calibre.”
Despite the recent addition of £10 million winger Largie Ramazani to the squad, Farke preferred to focus on the players who contributed to the win, rather than discuss transfers.
“I don’t want to talk too much about the players who weren’t involved today or who will join us soon. From tomorrow, Ramazani will train with us,” Farke said.
“I want to give more attention to the players who were involved tonight and might not be in the spotlight in the coming weeks, like young players Sam Chambers or Alex Cairns.
“It’s great that we’ve signed Largie, and I’ve made it clear we need a few more signings if we want to be ambitious. With a squad of just 12 or 13 senior players, it’s impossible for a club with such emotional and ambitious goals to be successful.
“We have a good group to build on, as we showed today, but we’ll need some additions. We’ll talk about them when they’ve trained with us. Right now, the players who were involved tonight deserve the spotlight.”