Daniel Farke will be desperate to avoid the fate of his predecessor, Jesse Marsch, after the referee was named for Leeds United’s crucial game against Aston Villa.
Leeds United welcome Aston Villa in their next game as they look to pull off a surprise result to pull away from the Premier League relegation places.
Daniel Farke is tasked with halting Villa’s momentum after Unai Emery’s side recovered from a slow start to the season to sit sixth in the table heading into the game.
Referee Rob Jones will take charge of the game at Elland Road, and he has a long history with Leeds, having taken charge of the Whites 19 times over the course of his career.
Farke will be looking to maintain a better relationship with him than Jesse Marsch did, after Jones sent Marsch to the stands in a damaging defeat for Leeds in 2022.
Rob Jones sent off Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch in Brentford loss
Leeds were in good form when they travelled to Brentford in September 2022, having taken eight points from their opening five games.
However, the first sign of their fragility came in a 5-2 defeat against Brentford, as Marsch lost his head on the touchline.
Ivan Toney has been linked with a move to Leeds this January, and he was the chief tormentor in a dramatic game, scoring a hat-trick, which included a controversial penalty that Marsch questioned after the game.
Jones then incensed the American further by denying Leeds a penalty, which Marsch protested vigorously, earning himself a red card.
Speaking to the BBC after the game, Marsch said: “That’s really the source of the frustration because I was calm the whole time until there’s an egregious act for me.
“So, you know, yeah, of course I don’t ever want to get tossed, and I don’t want to show disrespect to referees, but when I feel like there’s disrespect going in the other direction, I don’t know what else to do.
Jones has shown he is not afraid to send a manager to the stands if he believes they crossed a line. Farke needs to stay on the right side of him this weekend.
Rob Jones’ overall record in games featuring Leeds United
According to the data from TransferMarkt, Jones has taken charge of Leeds a total of 19 times, the second most of any team in his career, behind Aston Villa with 21.
Leeds have a strong track record in games featuring Jones, having won nine, drawn five and lost five, in a positive omen for the weekend.
| Record under Rob Jones | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost |
| Aston Villa | 21 | 6 | 5 | 19 |
| Leeds United | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
By contrast, Villa have won just six of their games under Jones, losing 10 and drawing on five occasions.
Jones has only ever sent off one Leeds player, dismissing Eunan O’Kane in a 1-0 defeat against Ipswich in January 2018. He has also awarded Leeds two penalties, both of which were scored by Rodrigo Moreno and Patrick Bamford in wins over Wolves and Burnley, respectively.
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