Daniel Farke calls Leeds United's defeat to Sunderland 'tough to take' but admits 'we didn't show the quality'
Daniel Farke's blunt response when asked how Leeds United had lost to Sunderland showed his frustration but was not camouflaging the shortcomings behind it.
The German drew titters in the post-match press conference when he replied to an opening question about what went wrong by muttering: "The bloody result!"
But at the same time he was honest enough to admit his team needs to be better in the final third after back-to-back 1-0 defeats at Elland Road.
Leeds had 70 per cent of the ball and ought to have had a penalty against an injury-hit Black Cats side who relied on some dark arts to break up the game and get them over the line.
"Sometimes it's difficult, tough to take," reflected Farke. "Sometimes you're so, so dominant. You dominate each statistic.
"We knew we would face a very compact and very competitive side. Sunderland, that's how they've set up the whole season. They've won many points, they're difficult to open.
"We had nearly 20 shots, we had so many set-pieces, corner kicks, long throws, free-kicks. We didn't give one chance away (apart from the penalty) but somehow we lost this game. Probably they are also struggling to explain how they won the game."
But it was not just bad luck that caused Leeds to lose. They did not do enough when they had the ball.
"I think we were lacking a little bit of clarity in the final third because we were so dominant," admitted Farke. "But the last focus, the last concentration, to play the final pass, precise, to bring the cross precisely in, to anticipate... sometimes we want so many first touches after corner kicks, but to anticipate where the ball comes down and put the ball over the line was a little bit missing.
"We didn't show the quality to bring the ball into the net. And in football this is a very important topic, and the reason why we lost."
For the second game running, though, he was angry with the referee, who this time was Stuart Attwell. He and his video assistant referee Paul Tierney missed Luke O'Nien hauling Pascal Struijk to the ground by the neck in the first half, then the VAR disallowed Joe Rodon's 63rd-minute "goal" and awarded a penalty Habib Diara scored in the 70th.
Farke referred to "crazy decisions".
"Normally we should have been rewarded with a penalty in the first half, then the second half we score the first goal, the whole stadium is exploding – Joe Rodon with a with a great header and somehow it's, whatever, three inches offside.
"One minute later at the other end, sometimes it's written in the stars. My most important player, Ethan Ampadu, has somehow instinctively, intuitively moved with his arm and given a penalty away in the situation where it's not even a chance for them.
"Then it's sometimes difficult to explain how this penalty went in (Karl Darlow got to it but could not keep it out). Sometimes it's really difficult to explain."
Farke waited until the 62nd minute to make his first substitution, and until his side was behind before bringing the other four on.
"For me, it was important not to lose nerves and to run into counter-attacks, because this happens in the games when a team is taking too much risk.
"We wanted to keep the clean sheet because you've seen what happens if they go in the lead, it was really just stop and go afterwards, 27 times there was treatment on the pitch (for Sunderland players, exaggerating for effect).
"They are smart, if you want to label it smart in the game management."
But he refuted the idea his side were complacent in a match where Leeds' home form and Sunderland's away from Wearside both pointed to one result.
"No, not, not team," he said. "Perhaps everyone else.
"We knew exactly what was facing us and when you have a look at what we have invested again I can't accuse my players of being lazy or big time or not humble, not at all.
"What was just lacking was really the quality in the final third to bring the ball over the line. We have this quality, but today we didn't."
Sunderland manager Regis le Bris praised his side, who were missing goalkeeper Robin Roefs and only had Granit Xhaka from the bench.
"We defended really well," he said. "The first half was brilliant. Pressing wise, it was really well done. They went long often.
"It was a really intense game without oxygen and in a game like that, you always have one or two opportunities, and the question is to seize it."