The November break has allowed question marks over Daniel Farke’s future at Leeds United to drift away into the wind somewhat, but Farke has now been asked if he feels he is under pressure.
Four defeats in five games and a fifth loss in Leeds’ sixth Premier League away game against Forest has left fans calling for the sack. But LeedsUnited.News understands Farke will be given until January.
The pressure is mounting on Daniel Farke… should Leeds United sack him?⌛
That is, unless something drastic happens. Realistically, Farke will do well to survive the next four games if Leeds fail to get any points. Graham Smyth thinks Leeds need to beat Villa at Elland Road on Sunday.
The pressure is massive on Farke at the moment. But the German gaffer is a cool, laid-back customer and Sky Sports asked him if he felt he could join the growing list of managers already sacked this campaign.
Daniel Farke picks his hardest time as Leeds United manager
Farke was asked if this is the hardest period of his Leeds tenure, having remained in the job for two and a half years. But the German was clear that the hardest spell as Leeds gaffer was his initial few months.
He said: “The hardest time was when I walked in. The club had just been relegated and was more or less in tears. Insecurity, conflict, big pressure. I came in to steady the ship and build a new way, a new era.
“The team I took over had four managers in a short period, from Marcelo to Sam Allardyce. Four different kinds of coaches. We needed a new start, some patterns, some principles and how we want to work.
“We needed to have a squad, because I wasn’t sure who would be there on the first of September due to the contract situation. We also had to develop some players due to the Financial Fairplay situation.
We had to sell and develop some players, like Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter. This was real pressure. If you sign a contract with Leeds, you have to be ready,” Farke told Sky Sports.
Victor Orta’s ridiculous contract clause that still hampers Leeds
As Farke says, the contract situation hindered Leeds. When relegated, a handful of the club’s senior side could leave the club on loan without the club being able to stop them, preventing Leeds from selling.
Orta had included the dreaded relegation loan clause in a number of players’ contracts. If a top-tier side came calling, Leeds simply had to wave goodbye. They had no say in the matter, and couldn’t sell them.
The eight players to use Victor Orta’s loan relegation clause in 2023:
| Name | Club | Now |
| Jack Harrison | Everton | Second season at Everton, now back at Leeds |
| Luis Sinisterra | Bournemouth | Permanent to Bournemouth, on loan at Cruzeiro |
| Rasmus Kristensen | Roma | Loan to Frankfurt in 2024, then permanent to Frankfurt |
| Robin Koch | Frankfurt | Signed permanently for Frankfurt on a free |
| Marc Roca | Betis | Signed permanently for Betis |
| Diego Llorente | Roma | Signed permanently for Betis |
| Brenden Aaronson | Union Berlin | Back at Leeds |
| Max Wober | Gladbach | Returned to Leeds, loaned to Werder Bremen |
Not only were Leeds losing a key player for a season, but it also meant they had no incoming cash to replace them with. It saved wages, but Orta’s bizarre clause saw eight players leave the club on loan.
It remains an issue, even now. Jack Harrison, Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober remain on contracts that allowed them to go on loan following relegation. If relegated, that clause could become active again.
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