Yes or No? Should Leeds United sack under-fire manager Daniel Farke? | OneFootball

Leeds United’s precarious position in the Premier League table at the time of the November international break has raised fresh conjecture on the future of manager Daniel Farke.

At the second time of asking, Farke guided Leeds to promotion out of the Championship last season, his third such achievement after twice getting out of the second tier with Norwich City. But once again, he’s finding the step up to the top flight tricky.

As things stand, Leeds are 16th in the Premier League table, sitting just one point above the relegation zone.

Three of the four teams beneath Leeds in the table have already changed their managers this season. So, will Farke be next to face the axe?

Sources state there are no plans yet for Leeds to sack Farke, but some would argue the current international break would be an ideal time to make a change so that a new manager can have a decent bedding-in period.

What side of the fence do you sit on? Here’s what our writers think…

I know the tide is turning against the manager and I’m perhaps still in the minority now, but I do think Farke should be given a little longer to get things right.

Yes, he needs to improve on a lot of things, especially away from home, where performances at Burnley, Brighton and Forest have been exceptionally poor. I also find myself questioning some of his selections and substitutions on a more frequent basis, admittedly something you do more when the chips are down and the team is in freefall…

But by and large, Leeds have looked strong at home and looked like we belong at this level in the majority of matches so far.

I also feel Farke has been left handicapped by the club’s inability to land his two prime attacking targets late in the window, while the move for Dominic Calvert-Lewin was only signed off after a string of other striker target misses.

The other thing that would concern me right now is the genuine lack of quality replacements out there linked with the job and I honestly don’t think any of the names suggested could do a better job with this crop of players.

It was never going to be straightforward for Leeds to stay up this season, and as things stand, Daniel Farke has them outside the relegation zone, albeit by a slim margin.

Farke deserved another chance in the Premier League after getting Leeds promoted, and despite the team’s poor form recently, I do believe he should be given time to turn things around. Unless their position in the table gets significantly worse, of course.

The reality is that Farke was dealt a tough hand by Leeds’ ownership. They failed to bring in the necessary attacking firepower over the summer and they’re struggling as a result.

If Leeds did sack Farke, there aren’t many great replacement options out there. That’s another reason why they should stick with him for now.

The stats show that Leeds United should keep Farke and back him in January.

As per Opta’s expected table, Leeds should be sat in 10th place on 15 points. Farke is being let down by defensive mistakes and profligacy in front of goal.

Indeed, Leeds have underperformed on their xG by 3.07 already this season.

Farke’s tactics are not the key issue here – the German needs more reliable players to ensure his style is successful.

Leeds should stick with Farke for now but reassess his position just before the January transfer window – and there are some tough fixtures before then so it might end up being curtains.

If they’d wanted to make a change during the international break, they should have done it by now. But they must be wary of any new manager bounce from the likes of Wolves, Nottingham Forest and West Ham – and wonder if they could engineer their own upturn in form with a managerial change.

With a tough run of games coming up, a new manager would be thrown in at the deep end. Leeds might be best off approaching those challenges with the coach whose style their players are already familiar with.

I’d be looking at the last couple of games before Christmas, against Brentford and Crystal Palace, as the ones where he may have to face the consequences after if Leeds lose.

While Farke’s impressive track record in the Championship helped Leeds United get promoted, they should now appoint a manager with more Premier League experience.

Before this season, he had a points-per-game average of just 0.53 in the Premier League, having won six, drawn eight and lost 35 of his 49 top-flight games in charge of Norwich.

The 49-year-old currently has a 1.0 points-per-game record this season but has been criticised for a lack of adaptability – something which was also levelled at him during his time at Carrow Road.

Leeds waited too long before sacking Jesse Marsch in their last season in the Premier League and that ultimately led to their relegation. They need to avoid a repeat of that mistake.

It’s a difficult one as Leeds have performed well in most of their games this season. However results speak for themselves and they are looking very likely to go down.

I think he could have been helped more in the summer window and he himself has stated that in press conferences. However perhaps a new manager bounce is enough to get them out of the relegation zone and give them a chance.

The Leeds owners made their bed, and they have to lie in it. Daniel Farke should never have been kept on in the job after Leeds got promoted to the Premier League. As brutal and harsh as it may sound, Farke’s track record of keeping clubs in the Premier League should have been a warning for the Leeds bosses.

True, Farke did exceptionally well to get Leeds out of the Championship, but if the Whites are to establish themselves in the Premier League and push on, then they needed to get a better manager in the summer.

Farke should have been let go with a hefty compensation and a new manager – better and/or proven in the Premier League – should have been hired in his place.

Farke’s remit was to get Leeds into the Premier League, which he did, and quite admirably. But the 49ers Enterprises should have moved on from him.