There might have been sympathy for Daniel Farke at the end of the transfer window. The Leeds United boss did not get all the additions he wanted, and it left the side light in attack.
But fast forward to now and after a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, fans are calling for Farke’s head. The board are concerned, with reports claiming Forest was the first of five games Farke had to save his job.
Fans remain sympathetic that Leeds did not manage to bring in enough attackers and certainly, some of the blame should be placed on the recruitment team. But Farke’s tactics and team selection is worrying.
Brenden Aaronson and Jaka Bijol started again, and Farke only made changes in the 74th minute, proving to be reactive instead of proactive, unlike Sean Dyche. He even put Jack Harrison on as a left-back.
Jon Newsome cannot believe Willy Gnonto’s omission
But it was something that happened an hour before the game that left Jon Newsome dumbfounded. In the week, Farke confirmed Willy Gnonto had been in training for two weeks after a hernia operation.
Yet, on Sunday, Gnonto had not even travelled. Leeds fans questioned the decision to leave Gnonto out before kick-off and after the game, Jon Newsome told BBC Radio Leeds that he couldn’t understand it.
“The way I look at it is, you’ve got a really important game against Nottingham Forest. Now, if you don’t win that game – we’re now doing a radio phone-in – people are asking for the manager to lose his job.
“Why are you saving your players? This game was the biggest game in front of you. You might not be in a job in the next game. That’s savage, but I scratch my head and wonder why that decision was made.
Sympathy gone for Daniel Farke after Willy Gnonto axe
As aforementioned, Leeds fans felt Farke had been thrown into battle without a weapon when the window closed. But now, it just seems Farke is making all the wrong decisions. That sympathy is gone.
The real concern for Leeds comes in the form of the club’s fixtures over Christmas. Leeds return from the break with Aston Villa, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool up next, which could easily be four straight losses.
| Name | Clubs | PL games | PL minutes | PL goals | PL assists | Minutes per PL G+A |
| Willy Gnonto | Leeds | 28 | 1545 | 2 | 4 | 257.5 |
| Noah Okafor | Leeds | 8 | 520 | 2 | 0 | 260.0 |
| Dan James | Leeds Man United Fulham | 114 | 6797 | 12 | 13 | 271.9 |
| Jack Harrison | Leeds Everton | 180 | 12793 | 25 | 20 | 284.3 |
| Brenden Aaronson | Leeds | 47 | 3098 | 2 | 4 | 516.3 |
His substitutions, his faith in Brenden Aaronson, his defensive tactics, his inability to be proactive during a game. While Farke hasn’t had all the tools, his decision-making has fans calling for him to be sacked.
Even those who defended Farke at the start and throughout the two years in the Championship now believe that any chance of survival hinges on the 49ers taking action, and bringing the right man in.
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