Leeds United could feel they have little choice but to sack Daniel Farke if the club find themselves cut adrift in the bottom three in December, a journalist has claimed, while a second reporter has named a multiple-trophy-winning manager as the man most likely to take his place at Elland Road.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a dire few weeks for Leeds United<\/a>, who have lost four of their last five Premier League games to slip within a point of the relegation zone and face a punishing run of fixtures from next weekend. With in-form Aston Villa up next, Leeds then face Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in what looks a crucial run of games for Farke<\/a>.<\/p>\n While a growing contingent of fans are now urging the Whites to consider sacking their manager, TEAMtalk has led the way by insisting that the Leeds board remains behind the 49-year-old as things stand<\/a> and are sat in a position in the table\u00a0 \u2013 16th \u2013 where they realistically expected to be.<\/p>\n And claims that Leeds remain behind Farke have since been backed up by the likes of the Yorkshire Evening Post\u2019s Graham Smyth, BBC Radio Leeds\u2019 Adam Pope and Sky Sports.<\/p>\n However, if their situation worsens, journalist Pete O\u2019Rourke feels 49ers Enterprises will feel they have no choice but to axe the German and give themselves a better chance of Premier League survival.<\/p>\n \u201cFour defeats in the last five games have set the alarm bells ringing at Elland Road,\u201d he told the Inside Track podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve seen the likes of Wolves of change manager, West Ham change manager and Nottingham Forest change manager as they found themselves at the wrong end of the table.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why you get the ongoing speculation that maybe Leeds could be next to look for a change in manager as well.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does seem that the Leeds hierarchy are looking to keep faith with Daniel Farke and they will give him a run of games to turn around Leeds\u2019 fortunes.<\/p>\n READ NEXT<\/strong>\u00a0\u26aa\ud83d\udd35\ud83d\udfe1\u00a0Leeds fans have made Farke sack feelings clear as overwhelming majority make huge demand<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got tough fixtures coming up, with Villa, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next games with a worrying time from now up until Christmas.<\/p>\n \u201cI think if they find themselves in that bottom three around Christmas time and there\u2019s no sign of improvement, then maybe their hands might be forced and they might be looking to make a change in the managerial department.<\/p>\n \u201cBut for now, it does seem that they are sticking by Daniel Farke.\u201d<\/p>\n In light of all that, speculation has begun over who could replace Farke in the Leeds dug-out, and journalist Graeme Bailey has explained why Brendan Rodgers<\/a> looks to be the standout name\u2026.<\/p>\n Brendan Rodgers to leading contender to replace Farke at Leeds<\/strong><\/p>\n While the likes of Marco Rose and Steven Gerrard have both been linked with the Whites, Bailey believes former Celtic and Liverpool boss Rodgers is the man most likely to step into the Leeds hotseat, should Farke be sent packing.<\/p>\n The 52-year-old recently parted ways with Celtic after falling out with their board and despite helping the Bhoys to win 11 major honours, including four league titles and back-to-back Trebles in his first two seasons at Parkhead.<\/p>\n Having also won the FA Cup during his time in charge at Leicester City, Rodgers\u2019 stock remains high and with a 53.82% win percentage record from his 812-game managerial career, it is easy to see why he is a name that would carry some appeal.<\/p>\n Discussing Leeds\u2019 stance, Bailey told Leeds United News<\/a>:\u00a0\u201cLeeds aren\u2019t ready to pull the plug. From what I\u2019m hearing, they\u2019re now not where they\u2019d hope to be, but they\u2019re okay with where they are at the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a great performance at Forest, and the club are aware of that, but they\u2019re not panicking. Of course, it piles the pressure on when you have a manager like Brendan Rodgers available. But nothing has changed, and nothing is imminent.\u201d<\/p>\n As for Farke, he will go into the Villa match on Sunday needing a response from his players. Leeds have been woeful in their last two matches away from home at Forest and Brighton and he\u2019ll need much better from his side to show they are still behind him and serious about their wishes to establish themselves back in the Premier League.<\/p>\n Leeds\u2019 target this season was always 17th or higher, so the club are right where they expected to be as things stand. But if their home form \u2013 and they have been strong at Elland Road \u2013 deserts them, then Farke could find himself in serious danger. And he will need Sunday\u2019s game to set the tone ahead of their crucial run\u2026.<\/p>\n Latest Leeds news: Toney move dismissed; Parrott move to be rekindled?<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, with the 49ers accepting some of the blame for the club\u2019s struggles lies with them,\u00a0we\u2019ve named four reasons why Farke can still save himself from the Elland Road sack<\/a>.<\/p>\n A big part of Leeds\u2019 survival hopes will rest on their ability to add more of a goal threat in the January window and sources insist the club will try and sign another striker in January after a poor return so far from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.<\/p>\n However,\u00a0Leeds United can be discounted from the race to sign Ivan Toney in January for three major reasons<\/a>, sources have explained, while the prospects of the England striker returning to the Premier League amid links to four other sides, including Tottenham and Everton, can also be revealed.<\/p>\n