Leeds United boss Daniel Farke on home 'comforts' - plus another key question

As far as Daniel Farke is concerned, when talk turns to his side’s itinerary in 2025-26, he is minded to look further down the track past a daunting triple whammy of games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool and view the bigger picture.

A pertinent question at the minute is whether the under-pressure United boss will buy himself enough time to be in the dug-out for the New Year appointments that he referenced after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa at Elland Road.

Farke said: "We know that we especially have home games against teams around us in the table.

"Perhaps in terms of fixtures, it's also a bit unfortunate that we had all these away (so far) against Fulham, Nottingham (Forest) and Burnley, but sometimes it's easier to have them at home on the run in.

"We will have them all at home and also Wolves, Sunderland and Brentford.

"But I don't want to wait just for these games, I also want to win points in the next three game days.

"Every win and point at this level is a boost and something positive. We deserved to take something against Aston Villa and I think about Bournemouth, Fulham, Newcastle and Tottenham, so we can list a few more.

"But the reality is where we are - 11 points. It's a hard struggle and fight and a nervy period.

"But we can't look back and must make sure that in the next game, we are also competitive and fight for the points.

"If the outcome, even in the next three games against such top-class sides, is that it doesn't work, it's also not that we are raising the white flag."

While only rock-bottom Wolves have scored fewer goals than Leeds’ current tally of 11 from 12 top-flight matches so far in 2025-26, Farke’s main area of concern surrounds his side’s defensive numbers.

The positioning of goalkeeper Lucas Perri came in for censure regarding Villa’s free-kick winner from Morgan Rogers on Sunday.

For his part, Farke was more perturbed about the fact that both of Rogers’ goals came after the left-hand side of United’s defence was exposed.

Wolves, Burnley and West Ham are the only Premier League clubs to have conceded more goals than Leeds’ tally of 22 so far this term.

After letting in seven goals in their opening five league appointments - including five in one game at big title favourites Arsenal - Leeds have shipped in 15 in their last seven games, with some cheap concessions along the way.

On whether his side’s defensive concessions are what is alarming him the most, he continued: "One hundred per cent. Especially as a promoted side, you can't expect that you always have to score three goals to win a game or whatever.

"I want to return back to what was also crucial for us, that we don't concede too many and overall we didn't give too much (chances) away (against Villa).

"That we are conceding too many on the left at the moment is something that we need to address honestly and improve."