🚨Daniel Farke future at Leeds United no longer certain after Angus Kinnear admits tension

Daniel Farke’s future at Leeds United no longer looks “as certain as it used to be” after recent events, says Graham Smyth.

   A reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post wrote for the newspaper’s website on September 15 that the German will be “always” under pressure this season after failing to secure promotion last term, and it is now “unknown” how his link with the 49ers will last  .    if the pressure increases.

   The Whites were beaten 1-0 at home to Burnley on September 14, leaving them five points adrift of the Championship in ninth place, while Farke’s signs of displeasure with the transfer window “suggest that the relationship between manager and club may not be as completely structurally sound as  was originally intended’.

   Managing director Angus Kinnear admitted there was “tension” in the summer [The Square Ball, September 12], putting it down to something that happens at every club, insisting Farke is the right manager for Leeds at the moment.

   But Smyth wrote: “And what about the right manager for where Leeds United will be in a year’s time? The question naturally arose as Kinnear’s statement hung in the air.

   “Of course there is only one way Farke will be at Leeds in September 2025 and that is if they are playing Premier League football.

   “Even then, it doesn’t seem as certain as it once was, because of how the window played out, because of what he said, what Kinnear said and what the fans were able to say after the 1-0 defeat  against Burnley.”

   Leeds United manager doubts 49ers commitment

   No relationship stays intact when a lot of pressure is applied, even if they end up surviving, so it’s no surprise that things aren’t looking so bright at Elland Road a year on.

   Missing out on an immediate return to the Premier League was not part of the plan and has forced the Whites to face financial problems that could otherwise have been avoided.

   Farke’s comments about the club not signing a number 10 to replace Georginio Rutter were the first public signs that the mask might be moving slightly [Smyth, 2 September].

   The 49ers may argue that the coach and his players should have guaranteed a promotion if they didn’t want such trouble, while the German can rightly fire back with questions about why the club wasn’t more prepared for star departures.

   Arguably, neither side did their full job as Leeds looked around late on to replace the likes of Rutter and Crysencio Summerville once they were aware of the release clauses in their contracts.

   Yet Farke fell short last term with those stars in his side and appeared to have no answers as the Whites struggled to beat Burnley at the weekend.

   It wouldn’t have mattered if Mateo Joseph and Willy Gnonto had excellent first-half chances, but none of the substitutions helped as they trailed at the break.

   Defeat in League One isn’t necessarily a disaster this campaign, but there appear to be inflection points at Elland Road which could become a problem if the team doesn’t keep pace at the top of the table from the start.