Leeds fans’ ‘influence’ getting Daniel Farke ‘in trouble’ with Adam Underwood questioned as sack looms | OneFootball

Leeds United fans could be decisive in 49ers Enterprises getting rid of Daniel Farke as the manager, according to Tony Pulis, who has also questioned the work done by the club’s sporting director, Adam Underwood, in the summer of 2025.

After losing five of their last six Premier League matches, Leeds find themselves third from bottom in the table with just 11 points from 12 matches. With games against Manchester City (away), Chelsea (home) and Liverpool (home) to come, the situation is only going to get worse for the West Yorkshire outfit.

While there is appreciation at Leeds for Daniel Farke after he guided the team to promotion from the Championship last season, TEAMtalk understands that 49ers Enterprises are considering sacking the German manager.

Our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, reported on November 24 that Farke’s job at Leeds is under threat following the team’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Elland Road last weekend.

The Elland Road faithful turned on the manager, with reports this week claiming that the Leeds bosses had held meetings with Farke, with the German publicly addressing his uncertain future.

Former Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis has given his take on Farke’s position and has underlined how fans at Elland Road could be decisive in determining his future.

Pulis told BBC Sport: “This season, Farke’s self-stated remit was to collect 38 points, or a point per game, a total that has proven enough to retain top-flight status every season since 2011-12.

“Up until last weekend’s defeat by Aston Villa, Farke was fulfilling that ratio, but he has suffered a change in wind direction among his own fans. It’s a moment most managers would recognise, having been through it themselves.

“What is most worrying about this change is that for the first time – even though, in my opinion, his team were playing really well against Villa – part of the crowd behaved in a very negative way towards him.

“They showed their feelings about his team selection and substitutes, quite openly.

“I have said in my previous columns that the game I love is all about the players and its supporters, but I will make a distinction here.

“If fans on social media sites criticise a team, manager or club, it resonates in only a minor way compared to the effect of the same criticism from supporters who buy season tickets and spend their hard-earned cash and time watching and travelling home and away in all weathers.

“In my experience, a lot of these supporters have a great understanding and knowledge of their team and the players, and have the right to criticise. Their reaction also has far more influence on the decision-makers at any club.

“So, if you hear criticism openly in your own stadium like Farke did on Sunday, it means you are in trouble and that results must start changing quite quickly, especially in the Premier League.”

Tony Pulis questions Leeds DoF Adam Underwood

Pulis has also questioned how good Adam Underwood was in his role as director of football in the summer of 2025 in terms of making signings to make Leeds better.

Leeds signed Anton Stach, Noah Okafor, Jaka Bijol, Lucas Perri, Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmundsson, James Justin, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that the Leeds bosses are aware that they left Farke short of an attacking option.

Pulis added: “Leeds appointed Adam Underwood as their director of football just months before the season started.

“I don’t know Adam, but he has been at the club more than a decade and has worked his way through from managing the academy to head of football operations and now this.

“It’s his first visit to the Premier League in this role, however, and he has been given a massive job of directing transfers and selecting targets for the first team.

“It would be interesting to see how the £100m that was spent on new players over the summer has, in effect, bettered the team.”

Brendan Rodgers ready to replace Daniel Farke at Leeds

Although Farke will stay in charge of Leeds’ match against Man City on Saturday, the club’s bosses are already considering potential replacements.

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has said that former Liverpool and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is the number one candidate to replace Farke at Elland Road.

Fletcher said: “We can reveal that Brendan Rodgers, a free agent since leaving Celtic, heads Leeds’ manager shortlist, with his proven ability to organise mid-table Premier League sides making him an obvious fit.

“Crucially, sources have suggested that Rodgers would be interested in the role.

“Farke himself remains publicly defiant, pointing to injuries, a demanding fixture list and the squad’s underlying metrics as evidence that results will turn.

“Privately, he knows the margin for error has vanished.

“Leeds cannot afford another November like the one in 2021 with Norwich, which ended with him being sacked.”

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