Paul Merson delivered his verdict on Leeds United’s start to the season ahead of the win over Watford at Elland Road.
Leeds moved up to second in the Championship with their 2-1 victory against the Hornets, with Daniel Farke’s side starting to pick up ahead of steam.
After picking up arguably their best win of the season over Sheffield United on Friday, it was vital Leeds backed that performance up with another three points.
It had looked as though they would do with absolute ease when Largie Ramazani and Brenden Aaronson put Leeds 2-0 ahead inside seven minutes, against a Watford side who had lost their three away matches by a margin of three goals.
However, to Watford’s credit, they battled to stay in the game, with Hornets boss Tom Cleverley actually suggesting they didn’t deserve to lose in his post-match interview.
Merson shares why he is ‘pleased’ for Daniel Farke at Leeds
Amid the grumbles earlier in the season about Farke‘s style of play, there is no doubt he knows what it takes to put together a run in the Championship.
Leeds have a run of matches where they should be able to put plenty of points on the board and at this level, there is no one better to have at the helm than Farke.
When Farke was appointed 15 months ago, Merson actually criticised his credentials for the Leeds job. However, speaking on Sky Sports ahead of last night’s win, it appears Merson has changed his tune.
Merson says he is absolutely delighted to see Farke doing so well at Leeds considering the ‘severe pressure’ the former Arsenal man believes he was under just a matter of weeks ago.
He said: “I am pleased for the manager because I remember it was five or six weeks ago, they had a game on Sky, he had to win that game or he was under severe pressure. It makes a difference. When you have managed in these leagues, that experience is priceless, it’s priceless.
“You don’t panic, you know the league, you now the players. They got rid of those players and the players they brought in, they know they can play in that league. And it’s hard playing at Leeds, it’s a hard place to play.
“It’s really a Premier League club with the fanbase. You are bringing in players who can cope with that pressure, and the manager has just got that experience.
“That’s why I think it’s priceless having that experience. People bring in managers from all over the world to manage in the Championship, they just don’t know what day it is, some of them.”
How Leeds compare after 11 games in 2024 to 2023
With no Leicester City or Ipswich Town running away with the top two this time around, Leeds are right in the mix already this season.
However, that isn’t just because of what clubs around them are doing, but because Farke has also overseen a better start to the season in 2024.
| Stat | 2023 | 2024 |
| Matches | 11 | 11 |
| Wins | 5 | 6 |
| Points | 19 | 22 |
| Points off top | 11 | 0 |
| League position | 5th | 2nd |
| Goals | 17 | 19 |
| Goals conceded | 11 | 8 |
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