49ers Enterprises told exactly what to do if Leeds United start slowly amid Brentford comparison
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Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman is urging the Leeds United board not to panic should Daniel Farke's side get off to another slow start. Leeds fell short of their target last season as the Whites struggled to end the campaign with the form and confidence they had shown in the months leading up to the run-in.
Since the end of the season chairman Paraag Marathe has publicly backed Farke and it seems the board have faith in the manager to get the job done at the second time of asking. That trust might start to waver, though, if Leeds fail to hit the ground running in August when the new Championship season gets underway.
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Hide AdThe Whites won't know how their start to the season looks until the fixtures are released next week, but as the current favourites to win the title, they will be expected to get off the mark quickly regardless of opposition. If things don't quite go to plan over the opening few weeks and months, though, Goodman believes the Whites must stand by Farke and resist the urge to make a change with the pundit pointing to the success Brentford have enjoyed under Thomas Frank.
“Leeds also made a slow start to last season,” Goodman said to MOT Leeds News. “The thing is, he then went on to get 90 points last season and would have got more if it wasn’t for that stuttering end. When you look at the history of his Norwich teams, I recall that when he won the title, neither of those seasons did they come flying out of the traps.
“I always go back to Thomas Frank as a great example. He only won one of his first 10 games when taking over at Brentford from Dean Smith. If the powers that be had said ‘one win in 10, let’s get rid’, Brentford wouldn’t be where they are now – an established Premier League club who can now spend decent money on players.
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Hide Ad“If Leeds are battering teams and losing 1-0, like they did against Blackburn Rovers at the back end of the season, it would be silly to not look at the performances and data and just focus on the results early in the season. Obviously, when you get to 20 games in then it’s a different debate. You have to be in the right area of the table at that point in order to push for a top-two finish.”
Of course, while the club will not be able to spend freely this summer, 49ers Enterprises will be keen to do all they can to give Farke the tools required to do the job, with fresh faces needed in order to fill holes within the first-team squad. A strong-minded approach to player sales would also help the German plan ahead.