If anyone thought Leeds United might be on holiday mode on Monday night against Bristol City, they could not be more wrong. A stunning 4-0 win over the Championship’s fifth-best club.
A stunning performance against a side that had prevented Leeds from scoring in the reverse fixture saw Leeds go back to the top of the table. Ao Tanaka, Willy Gnonto and a Largie Ramazani brace got the win.
Leeds played as though the shackles were off. No pressure on Farke or the players with promotion in the bag, as The Whites cruised past a side that could easily join Leeds in the Premier League during 2025-26.
Following promotion, there had been reports suggesting Farke could be replaced. On Monday, a report from a site as reputable as The Guardian said that The 49ers had spoken to three managerial targets.
What Leeds fans and Liam Manning did to Daniel Farke late on
With the scoreline reading 4-0 after substitute Ramazani finished superbly with his left foot, Bristol City manager Liam Manning turned to Farke and embraced him with 90 seconds of injury time still to play.
It came moments after the Elland Road crowd had sang Farke’s name, with the Leeds crowd making it clear that Farke is the man for them following the reports and chairman Paraag Marathe in the stadium.
Indeed, it was also claimed that Marathe had flown in to speak to Farke and listen to how he will take on the Premier League. But if he was listening at all on Monday, he will know what the fans think about it.
Beren Cross reported: “Liam Manning embraces Farke on the touchline with about 90 seconds to play. Farke had just been given another rendition by the stadium.”
The three names supposedly spoken to about the Leeds job
The reports on Monday came as a shock, after The Athletic had suggested that Farke was going nowhere. Indeed, it said that there had been some within The 49ers Enterprises that doubted Farke’s capability.
The report named Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Roger Schmidt and Davide Ancelotti as options – and they had been spoken to by The 49ers. But with two years left on his contract, surely, Farke is going to remain.
There will be talks and discussions, possibly ahead of the trip to Plymouth with Marathe now in town. But if The 49ers do decide to sack Farke after his work this season and the cheer he got, it would be a shock.
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