Gabby Agbonlahor misses the point again when discussing if Leeds United should sack Daniel Farke

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TalkSport pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has delivered a verdict on Leeds United boss Daniel Farke that will raise eyebrows among the fans, as pressure builds on the German.

As the third international break of a disrupted Premier League season to date draws to a close, Daniel Farke will be turning his attention to how to arrest his side’s alarming slump in form.

At the end of the previous international break, spirits at Elland Road were relatively high, as Leeds had taken four points from four games, a total which could feasibly have been higher.

The damaging defeat against Nottingham Forest concluded a poor run of results for the Whites, which saw them take three points from the next four games, but also suffer three comprehensive defeats against Burnley, Brighton and, finally, Forest.

Now, Gabby Agbonlahor has thrown his support behind Farke, in a verdict that missed the point over Farke’s future.

What did Gabby Agbonlahor say about Daniel Farke’s Leeds United future?

Speaking on TalkSport Breakfast alongside co-host Jeff Stelling, Agbonlahor defended Farke’s position at Leeds, despite the recent run of poor results.

According to Agbonlahor, the 49ers should resist the temptation to part company with Farke, as Leeds remain outside of the bottom three after 11 games of the season.

Asked if he understood why Farke is under pressure, Agbonlahor said: “I was one of the people who said, ‘Will they go for a bigger manager, a better manager?’ But he started off the season very well.

“Recent results haven’t been great. But if you look at the league table, Jeff, you’re on the same points as Fulham. They’re above Burnley, West Ham, Forest and Wolves. It’s not panic time yet. If you continue how you are now, you’ll end up with 38 points for 38 games. I think that’ll be enough to stay up.

“So I don’t think it’s panic stations yet, but they need to start making Elland Road a fortress. And even when the big teams come, can you upset the big teams? Can you upset Aston Villa when they come on the weekend? Can you upset Chelsea, Liverpool coming in the next five?

“Because you can’t look at those games and say, oh, you know, we’re not looking at these games as games that are going to [define] where we finish this season.”

• READ MORE: Leeds United climbed top of the First Division table as Rod Wallace made his mark in 1991

Leeds United needed more of a cushion ahead of a difficult Premier League run

Although Agbonlahor is probably right to state that 38 points would be enough to keep Leeds in the top flight, Leeds needed more of a cushion heading into a crucial run of fixtures.

Of course, Leeds should be aiming to take points off Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. However, it is entirely conceivable that Farke’s side lose all four of those games, leaving them on 11 points from 15 games and behind their target run rate.

As the season progresses, the context of some of Leeds’ good results is beginning to change. The battling defeat against Fulham now looks like a missed chance to take points off a relegation rival. Similarly, the dour home draw against Newcastle looks like an opportunity missed.

Any team that manages to avoid relegation needs to pick up a handful of upsets along the way. However, by missing the chance to build up a safety cushion on the bottom three, Farke now needs snookers to keep pace with his one point per game target for Premier League survival.