Speaking after Sunday’s bitter disappointment at Wembley Stadium, where Leeds ended their promotion campaign with more of a whimper than a bang in a 1-0 defeat by Southampton, Farke was reluctant to speak in detail about what happens now. The German signed a four-year deal last summer and is expected to retain the backing of the club’s owners for a second shot at Premier League status. A chaotic first transfer window, dominated for the most part by the stampede for the exit and a glut of release clauses, meant Leeds began the season on the back foot, squad wise. It was not until the transfer window closed at the start of September that Farke knew exactly who he would be taking into the remainder of the first half of the season.
Despite that difficult start to the campaign, Farke insists his optimism over the club’s direction under 49ers Enterprises is intact. He said: “I totally trust this club. I totally trust also the key people because my experience is since I signed the contract was, after a difficult start with all the exit clauses we had to suffer until it was more or less September, this club is totally on the right path but to go into details what we will do and that we will be even stronger – I think it’s the wrong moment to give special messages. There will be a moment to speak about that but not today.”
It was the wrong time to speak about personal matters, too, according to the German, but he nodded in the direction of everything he had already said on the record about his commitment to the Leeds promotion project. “I spoke pretty openly when I signed the contract, why I signed a long term contract and what my mission is here for this club,” he said. “It’s not the moment to speak about myself, just this fantastic club and our supporters and my players. They don’t want a manager who speaks about himself just 20 minutes after we lost a final and gives messages for his own future, it’s more like to be there for them, pick them up and give the experience of an older lad who was in positions like this before.”
The Wembley pain will be raw for supporters and players alike for some time but the club’s thoughts must quickly turn to the summer and a transfer window that already poses huge questions. The future of star players Crysencio Summerville, Willy Gnonto and Archie Gray will be talking points whether Elland Road decision makers like it or not, because interest and offers will almost certainly come. And the spectre of loan exit clauses will once again threaten to haunt proceedings, with no clarity yet offered on whose clauses will reactivate now that Championship status is confirmed for the club next season. Midfielder Marc Roca, who spent the season with Real Betis in La Liga, has already stated that he will be able to go out on loan once again, while Robin Koch’s expiring contract left him free to secure a permanent move to Eintracht Frankfurt. It is not yet known what the immediate future holds for the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Diego Llorente, Max Wober and Jack Harrison, who will remain on the books as Leeds players, without the prospect of a warm welcome back from fans.
In terms of in-coming business, there is no doubt Leeds will need to bring in some more experience to try and get over the line next season – something Farke alluded to on Sunday evening. He says work has already begun in the background and now that Leeds’ divisional status has been confirmed they can begin in earnest in order to hit the ground running in a way that wasn’t possible this season.
“We will take the positive out of the season but also try to work a bit on the things that we can improve and one thing is definitely a bit more experience, and the players who are involved will also be a bit more experienced next season – experience always helps,” he said.
“Obviously in my mind I have also prepared a bit already. Right now is not the moment to speak about this because it could mean I was criticising something we didn’t have and these players don’t deserve it in this moment. We’ll work on all these topics over the upcoming weeks. It’s always a bit difficult when you don’t know at the end of May exactly which league you’re in because they’re different scenarios. It’s a bit tricky. In the background we’ve prepared a lot. We’re prepared for different scenarios but there will be lots of work to do in the upcoming weeks. Before you press a button you need to know which league you’re in. From now on at least we have clarity and can go a bit more into details. I’m pretty sure it will last a little bit, I’m not sure everything will be fully ready at the start of pre-season but when the new season starts then definitely everything will be ready.”
