Daniel Farke: The boys have worked so hard | OneFootball

Leeds United completed their first pre-season preparations with a dramatic victory from behind over Liverpool on US soil, scoring four second half goals to complete the turnaround!

Instinctive finishes from Brenden Aaronson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin levelled proceedings with 20 minutes to play, before Sean Longstaff converted only two minutes later to take the lead and our number 9 added a fourth five minutes before time.

Speaking with LUTV following the exciting encounter at Solder Field, Whites manager Daniel Farke was delighted with how his team had progressed over the three encounters, though was slightly annoyed there was no silverware to show for it.

“We won this tournament, and actually I want the trophy, because especially in the US you normally get the trophy for everything, but no trophy is around!” the boss laughed, tongue-in-cheek.

“So for that, I am a bit annoyed but all jokes aside, there couldn’t be a better ending of this tour. The boys have worked so hard – three weeks right now in a row without a day off, more or less two weeks here in the US.

“And then to have on the last day a game against Liverpool, a bit difficult first half, also a bit unlucky to be 2-0 down, but then still to have the energy and the big togetherness, the spirit and the will to turn this game and also to win this game in the end, fully deserved.

“We had more shots, more shots on target, way more corner kicks, set pieces. I think we fully deserved to win this game. Especially a brilliant, brilliant second half so all credit goes to them.

“And we take lots of positives, not just this game, but lots of positives out of this tour. We will head back to the UK, need then perhaps one or two days to recover, and then we go again. But, of course, a perfect, perfect ending today.

“You know, in football sometimes the momentum can change a lot. I think we didn’t play with the bravery that we normally have in the first half. We had good situations up front but could have been a bit more braver in possession to dominate the game a bit more.

“We played with fire and confidence and bravery in the second half, and this is why we dominated the whole second half and fully deserved also to win this game.

“We played against one of the contenders for the title next season, so Liverpool is one of the big favourites also for the title, and to be capable also, not just to be competitive, but to have major parts when we dominate the game, it is quite important.”

With two exciting Elland Road friendlies against Bundesliga opposition to come, either side of a trip to Dublin to face rivals Manchester United, Farke’s message is clear for the coming weeks.

“To keep going,” he demanded. “We are far away from staying not humble, from being over the moon or too big time anyhow.

“We know there is lots of work to do in building our fitness levels and building our flexibility that we want, building our squad and getting some key players back.

“The work is not done and all the others who are on a good path have to make sure that we go also then the next yards anyhow. If we stop right now and think, okay, everything is already prepared, it won’t be good enough. We have to keep going.”