‘I’m surprised’: Daniel Farke shares what he has already noticed about the Leeds squad

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Daniel Farke is ‘surprised’ at how little of a ‘hangover’ the Leeds United squad has had since relegation.

Farke was speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Cardiff City on Sunday, where he was quizzed on if he had been met with any surprises since his appointment at Leeds.

The Whites have faced a chaotic summer since relegation to the Premier League was confirmed in May, with wholesale changes both on and off the pitch.

First of all, San Francisco 49ers Enterprises and Andrea Radrizzani had to reach a fresh agreement on a full takeover, which in turn caused the delay of Farke’s arrival.

Leeds are now also well into double figures in terms of player departures and are expected to lose more, with signings also coming in the other way.

Farke shares what has surprised him at Leeds

Despite everything that has gone, Farke says he is really impressed with the squad have stuck together this summer, something which has surprised him given how last season went.

He said: “I’m not surprised. I knew this club was massive. I’m surprised with the reaction of my lads, there’s sometimes a hangover after relegation but the lads have stuck together impressively. The group is not overly big, we’ve trained with 16 today.

“It’s not perfect but as long as they are tight you have a chance. I think our situation will improve. For me it’s most important to have unity as a club. From the outside world I always thought this club and the supporters were close and the players had the fan backing. This is what I feel at the moment. I feel positivity.”

Under Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds had a squad that were not only fully in tune with each other on the pitch, but also extremely close off it, which reflected in the performances.

That togetherness seems to have gradually ebbed away in the 18 months since Bielsa’s sacking, but with a number of last season’s dead wood now gone, hopefully Leeds can go back to having a squad full of unity.

This comment from Farke certainly hints that way, which can only be a good thing when Leeds step out onto the pitch.