Good Morning. It's Tuesday 26th November, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Farke is not helping his cause
Leeds United’s summer transfer strategy spoke volumes about how the club intended to tackle the challenges of the Premier League. Of the 10 new arrivals, six stand at 6ft 1in or taller, a deliberate approach informed by data analysis showing the value of physical stature among lower half teams in recent seasons. With elite technical players financially out Leeds reach, they sought to gain an edge in aerial duels and set-piece situations.
It's not rocket science; Leeds don't have the money to compete at the highest level, so have compensated with height and strength to try and level the playing field; so why on earth does Daniel Farke refuse to employ a set-piece specialist, just like seventeen other top flight clubs do? He entrusts these responsibilities to assistant, and long time buddy (since his SC Paderborn playing days) Edmund Riemer and two junior coaches, but it clearly isn't working!
Recent matches, including both goals conceded against Aston Villa originated from free-kick scenarios highlighting the limitations of his approach. Poor organisation, such as the weak defensive wall, has highlighted why only Leeds, West Ham, and Wolves (all sitting at the wrong end of the table) are the only Premier League clubs not to adopt such a specialist.
Brendan Rodgers odds slashed
It's just be a matter of time before Daniel Farke’s tenure at Leeds United comes to an end, with speculation over his successor intensifying. The biggest development in the past 72 hours has been the rapid shortening of odds for Brendan Rodgers to take the helm. Online bookmakers Parimatch, Leeds United’s current sleeve sponsor of the Leeds Utd men's first team have slashed Rodgers’ price from 4/1 last week to just 9/4, signalling a surge in confidence that the experienced Northern Irishman could be on his way to Elland Road.
Rodgers brings with him an impressive managerial résumé, having dominated Scottish football during his time at Celtic with multiple Premiership titles, cup victories, and back-to-back domestic trebles. His success is not limited to Scotland; in England he guided Leicester City to their first-ever FA Cup triumph in 2021 and oversaw two consecutive fifth-place Premier League finishes. At Liverpool, Rodgers famously came close to clinching the league title, while his reputation for forging strong relationships with players, many of whom have credited him with elevating their performances adds weight to his candidacy.
However, Rodgers is not the only name in the frame. Just a few short weeks ago, Bo Svensson was considered the odds-on favourite to replace Farke, but the former Danish defender’s chances have begun to drift, with bookmakers now offering 2/1 on his appointment. Other contenders include Carlos Corberan 4/1 and Marco Rose 5/1, with Gary O’Neill priced at 12/1, and Norwegian coach Kjetil Knutsen also in the conversation.
As the Elland Road faithful await clarity on Farke’s future, the managerial merry-go-round continues to gather pace. With Rodgers emerging as the new front runner and other challengers still in the mix, the next chapter at Elland Road could hinge on swift decisions behind the scenes. In football, momentum can change as quickly as the odds.
