'Multifaceted' Leeds United manager Daniel Farke hailed by Simon Jordan as 'unfair' judgement addressed
Simon Jordan’s praise for Leeds United manager Daniel Farke amid Premier League relegation battle
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke was unfairly judged at the beginning of the season, believes pundit Simon Jordan.
Farke led the Whites to the Championship title last season, lifting the trophy for the third time having twice achieved the feat with Norwich City.
He had overseen a struggle in the top flight following each of his promotions with Norwich, leading many to question his Premier League capability.
However, with Leeds currently well-placed to beat the drop with six games remaining, doubts over the German have died down.
Simon Jordan hails Daniel Farke
“He’s showing the ability to understand what it takes to stay in the Premier League without having inordinate amounts of money to spend,” Jordan told talkSPORT. “In both instances at Norwich, he wasn’t given inordinate amounts of money.
“It was unfair when he was being judged by a set of standards at the beginning of the season, saying, ‘this is a guy that gets you up and might not be able to keep you up’.”
Leeds pivoted away from a four-at-the-back formation in late November, when pressure was mounting on Farke.
It proved to be the catalyst for an uptick in form and arguably saved Farke from the chopping block.
“What he’s shown at the third time of asking is that he knows how to navigate,” said Jordan. “He wasn’t aligned with an ideology of a way to play.
“Leeds changed about five, six, seven, eight games into the season. They changed the way they started to play. And that’s produced outcomes, so he’s adapted. He’s shown he’s multifaceted.”
Leeds United the ‘kingmakers’
Not only are Leeds fighting to retain their Premier League status, they are hoping to secure some silverware having reached the FA Cup semi-final. The Whites will face Chelsea at Wembley on April 26 after league meetings with Wolverhampton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth.
“Look at their home games,” said Jordan. “They’ve got Wolves and Burnley. I mean, who would you want in your last two home games if not Wolves and Burnley? You’d have them all day, right?
“You’ve got to be saying to yourself, well, we’re gonna stay in there (the Premier League). What they will also do, ironically, is not just perhaps secure their future. They might be pivotal in the outcomes of Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham. They’re playing those two teams as well.
“Leeds can be the kingmakers of themselves, but they also might be ‘king-savers’ of one of the other two big London clubs.”