Former Leeds United defender Jon Newsome believes Daniel Farke is burying his head in the sand as the pressure builds on his position at Elland Road.
Newsome accused Leeds of being toothless in their defeat at the City Ground as the Whites meekly surrendered their early lead.
Daniel Farke took aim at the referee and his defenders at full-time, admitting that he was at a loss over what to do when Leeds conceded their second goal.
With reports before the game suggesting that Farke had five games to save his job at Leeds, he got off to the worst possible start ahead of a daunting run of fixtures.
Now, former Leeds man Newsome has accused the Leeds boss of burying his head in the sand, with both Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou linked with the Leeds manager’s job.
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty ImagesDaniel Farke is burying his head in the sand after Leeds United defeat
Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds after Leeds’ latest worrying Premier League defeat, Newsome did not react well to Farke’s post-match assessment.
According to Newsome, Farke is burying his head in the sand after taking issue with the referee’s performance.
Newsome said: “He was talking about Stach getting fouled on the halfway line, and if the referee had given that foul, then we wouldn’t have conceded the second goal. I think it’s sort of like putting your head in the sand a little bit. Interesting is how I would put it.”
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Asked if he thought Leeds could still stay up, Newsome continued: “I’ve not got a crystal ball, so… He’s sort of set himself up a little bit there, hasn’t he? You know?
“Because, you know, especially with the big three or four massive games coming up, you know, if they suddenly fall below that line, I’m sure somebody’s going to throw that at him.”
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty ImagesDefence could cost Daniel Farke his job at Leeds United
Although much of the focus has been on Leeds’ issues in attack so far this season, it could be the defence that ultimately costs Farke his job.
All three of Forest’s goals involved errors by Leeds United, with Lucas Perri spilling a cross for the first, Jaka Bijol failing to pick up his man for the second, and Jack Harrison producing a clumsy challenge in the box for the third.
Leeds’ run without a Premier League clean sheet:
- Nottingham Forest 3-1 Leeds
- Brighton 3-0 Leeds
- Leeds 2-1 West Ham
- Burnley 2-0 Leeds
- Leeds 2-2 Bournemouth
- Fulham 1-0 Leeds
Leeds were meant to be the reincarnation of George Graham’s 1996/97 team, who bored their way to safety. Now, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven games and are too close to the bottom three for comfort.
A faltering attack matters less if the defence is absolutely watertight. If Farke is given the chance to try and rebuild from this damaging loss, he has to go back to basics with his Leeds United side.