Daniel Farke reveals solution to Leeds United striker absence and crucial touchline instruction

The Whites were forced to overturn a two-goal deficit at home to the Bluebirds in their first fixture back in the second tier as Cardiff raced into a first-half lead at Elland Road last Sunday.

New manager Farke says he didn’t panic, though, even without a recognised striker in the team’s line-up due to Patrick Bamford, Georginio Rutter and Mateo Joseph’s absence.

Holding their collective nerve was the message Farke tried to transmit to his players on the pitch, which ultimately paid dividends with Crysencio Summerville’s stoppage time equaliser.

"I knew that our fitness levels are already really good and I knew that there would be chances, even at the end and we can hold the pressure high,” Farke said in his post-match press conference.

"I told them 'listen, this is our way of preparing, we will exhaust them mentally but also physically and we can even turn the game in the last minutes of the game'.

"I think that's a big advantage when you have so much possession and there is a moment when the opponent is too exhausted or mentally exhausted, that there will be opportunities."

Leeds enjoyed 72 per cent possession at Elland Road in their season opener, finishing the game with 25 shots to Cardiff’s seven.

“I told the players, 'come on, keep the nerves, don't panic right now, stay patient', because if you would have started to put long balls just upfront, we wouldn't have equalised the game because today we didn't have strikers like Bamford, like Joseph, with physicality.

"We had a pretty small starting XI on the pitch and even later on, so we need to find some other solution. I think it was important to keep our nerves and keep the ball moving and prepare the situations and I think this was a key why we were able to equalise and nearly turn the game completely,” he added.

Leeds’ patience was rewarded in the fifth minute of added time at the end of the second half as Dutch winger Summerville finished instinctively inside the penalty area, beating Jak Alnwick with a low strike on the swivel.

United face Shrewsbury Town in the Carabao Cup this week before visiting Birmingham City at the weekend, however it’s unlikely the aforementioned striking trio of Rutter, Bamford and Joseph will be available to start in either fixture – but Farke has a solution.

"Well, in general, we need to goals all over the pitch, also from midfielders,” he said. “I think this was also a bit of problem last season that we didn't score enough goals out of midfield. I'm happy that a midfield player like Cree [Summerville] was today able to be there with a crucial goal. I also spoke about that. I want my centre-halves to be there with goals and also get some goals with some set pieces.

"But, I'm also one hundred per cent sure as soon as Patrick Bamford, Rutter and Mateo Joseph are available, we will also offer a few more striker goals because you always need guys who score goals because goals change momentum, also the game, and to go and lead or to equalise a bit earlier is quite crucial.

"We had today a situation when we had many strikers injured and I knew before it could be a bit tricky but I'm pleased that even without a proper, natural-born goalscorer we were able to create so many chances and also to score two goals,” the German added.

Farke seemed pleased the team heeded his instructions and the notion that Leeds will ‘exhaust’ opponents physically and mentally this season is one which could rear its head repeatedly over the course of 2023/24, owing to the manager’s possession-based style.

"I think overall, under these circumstances where we are at at the moment, a short preseason, the hangover of relegation, many important players injured, not available – even during the game, so many unlucky situations – you have to say under these circumstances it was a really good performance,” Farke told the YEP, when asked how close to the finished article his side’s display was on matchday one.

A similar game is probable on Wednesday night as League One Shrewsbury visit Elland Road, with the Shropshire side expected to set up to frustrate, putting Farke’s hypothesis to the test.