Leeds United boss Daniel Farke on FA Cup progress, praise for Harrogate Town and why he did not involve any youngsters

In their first ever game at Elland Road in front of a crowd of just under 36,000, Harrogate – 68 places below Leeds in the EFL stands – showed defensive fortitude before being breached on 59 minutes, thanks to Largie Ramazani’s header.

It was a night when Leeds made eight changes, while Josuha Guilavogui and Isaac Schmidt made first starts for the club. A bonus late on saw midfielder Ilia Gruev make his return from injury from the bench, alongside Junior Firpo.

Farke said: "That’s the main thing in cup competitions – to progress into the next round. I have been involved in many of these games where the underdog is aiming for a shocking result and an upset.

"It’s never easy as for them, it’s the game of the season and for some of them, perhaps the game of their lives at a packed Elland Road and they are excited.

"For us, it was important to use this game to rotate a bit and rest a few payers and give some minutes away and full debuts and bring players back in after long-term injuries.

"You also have to respect the quality of the opponent. A professional football side who spend their whole day focused on training and playing in order to be as successful as possible.

"It is never easy. They defended really, really well and deep and with the knife between the teeth.

"In the first half, we had seven or eight finishing situations in the box but it was always either the post or goalkeeper or a shot was blocked. Obviously, in the centre., there was no space and we had to open them on the wings and we tried to switch play.

"You also sometimes have to tire them a little bit and out of such a situation we found an opener with an excellent assist from Manor Solomon and then the header from Largie Ramazani.

"They tried to come back into the game and then we got control back and saw the game out, apart from the last 20 seconds where we played a crazy backpass!

"But well done to Harrogate, they played an excellent game today and I am pleased we progressed and got back to winning ways and a clean sheet.

"Overall, it was good we brought some minutes into some players and i was a pretty good night for us.”

Why he didn’t involve more youngsters instead of senior players, he added: “I don’t believe too much in sometimes in less important games, giving some gifts away to youngsters and then you celebrate yourself as a manager and say: ‘okay, I believe in youngsters’ and then you don’t see them for the next three years.

"If I give games away to youngsters, it is also in important situations when they really deserve it and it really counts and that’s when they can grow. Otherwise, it’s just fishing for compliments."