Farke sits down with the local and national media after every single Leeds game but having watched his side hammer Stoke City 6-0 to sit on the cusp of promotion to the Premier League, his Easter Monday ‘presser’ was a unique one. By the time Farke began taking questions Burnley had kicked off against the Blades in a game that could send Leeds up automatically. Should Sheffield United drop points then they will not be able to catch Leeds and Premier League status will be secured.
As Farke was responding to a question he glanced to a screen to his right to see Josh Brownhill thumping in Burnley’s first goal and the Leeds boss somehow managed to keep a smile from his face and barely missed a beat of his answer. And as distracting as the Turf Moor fixture might have been, he wanted to say plenty about his own side and what they did at Elland Road.
Leeds run riot
Leeds showed no nerves as they ran riot in the first half against the Potters, smashing in five goals before the break. Joel Piroe helped himself to four of those with Junior Firpo adding the fifth. Willy Gnonto’s header in the second half completed the perfect day for Leeds, who could do no more to state their promotion credentials.
“Perhaps a seventh goal but apart from this not really much more,” said Farke. “How the lads have handled the last weeks, this crunchtime period when there’s lots of pressure on them, how we have performed, the spirit, the quality of the performance and the consistency of the results has been second to none. Stoke was in red-hot form, in position three for the last five game days, a really good team with a very experienced manager who knows the league inside out. To deliver such an emphatic performance – with the foot on the gas perhaps we could score a few more – is really amazing and all the credit goes to the boys. The mentality we’ve shown in recent weeks was unbelievable and a priceless three points today.”
The victory took Leeds to 94 points with two games remaining. They have scored 89 goals and boast a goal difference of 60. Farke says the points tally, which eclipses that of Marcelo Bielsa’s 2020 champions and last season’s Leeds team, is a reward for his players’ efforts.
“I think it’s an impressive achievement, to be on 94 points is the best points tally this club has had in any season,” he said. “Eighty-nine goals are right up there too and still two games to play. It’s just more or less a reward for what the lads have done this year, outstanding consistency, we’re so hard to beat, scoring goals for fun, creating so many chances. The lads are playing really well and doing really well. The most important thing is the position in the league and our biggest aim is to get promoted. We will just celebrate when it’s done. What we have achieved with hard work and proper football is second to none.”
Daniel Farke vows Leeds United ‘fire beast’ celebration during unique post-game meeting
