Every word Daniel Farke said on emotional Leeds United exit, transfers and Charlie Cresswell future latest

Daniel, can we start with fullbacks, Djed has gone, Luke Ayling has gone, why has that been allowed to happen and how will you fill that hole?

Well, with Luke, it was a special situation and yes, I spoke publicly about my appreciation, and about his value for us as a club and us as a group. Obviously if we judge the situation a bit selfishly, you have to say, it’s not like our numbers in this position are too big. So we want to keep a player like Luke Ayling as he is proven and experienced on this level. Also you want to have him as a human being in the group. On the evening after the FA Cup game, he came to see us and key people from the club, to ask if they would allow him a move. I think when there is a player with this CV, for this club, asking for this, you have to listen and talk to him. It was not the moment to think selfishly, we want to have him as a leader and a good option for the full back position here, but he has done so great for the club and has many so years here. I am here six months and he has spent more years than I have months! So I think it’s totally fair to say we listen to him. He has also done so much for the club and I know it’s the other way round also, the club has done a lot for him, but he has given so much back and I think you have to keep in mind his situation. He was the oldest player in our group and his contract runs out in the summer. In his stage he wants to get more minutes and wants to play many minutes, because the fire is still burning, and we couldn’t’t guarantee this. So he asked if we would allow him to leave. We said selfishly we’d like to keep you, but you’ve done so much, and I think not just because we want to give something back but also because he was such a professional and loyal player. You deserve also more like a final goodbye when you choose you want to go, and in a situation where has also played several games at the beginning of the season and we want to let you go after what you have done. With class, style, and we allowed him to leave. It was not an easy decision, also not for myself, I spoke about what I think about Luke as a player but also as a human being. I also knew if I would have played him more in recent weeks he probably would have stayed, so I knew I was also responsible a little bit for the situation. I tried to act in the best interests of the club so for that we decided to play with other players on his position. But then it is up to us to listen and speak to him and be honest, I think we handled it with class and style, exactly the way Luke was for this club. He will always be a legend and what he has achieved in good and bad times is second to none. We have to keep this in mind and he will always be a Leeds United legend. So, a big member of our group at the club and in this moment, you had to think about his final steps because on this age you won’t play 10 more years on this level. So, I think for that, it would have not made sense to not allow this. To have him there in a moody mood is also not helpful. It was a difficult decision for us but I think it was totally the right choice to allow him this move.

On both sides of defence, will you bring in players now?

As you know, I am totally open and transparent in my views about what we need to do. I was in the same way in the summer, because I spoke about ‘this area’ that we have to improve, and we have to bring fullbacks in and we did this with Sam Byram and then later on we tried to bring some fullbacks in. Also in the end we signed Djed Spence. I like to be open and honest in the summer, I have to say I am a bit more careful in January because I know this market is difficult, so I can’t lie, I know we have areas we are too little in numbers and would be great to strengthen but I also know the January market is difficult. The players are under contract, the players on the market at the moment are coming from injury or are not playing, otherwise they are not on the market. Nobody is tempted to give players away who are playing regularly. If you want to sign one who has not played in recent months, it’s much more difficult than the summer. In the summer you have pre-season and friendlies, you don’t have this in January. Or, you have to spend crazy money and this is what we can’t do. We don’t have the opportunity to do this, so for that, I am always careful about speaking what we do. Yes we have positions where it would be great to strengthen a bit but I know how difficult the market is. I will be honest, it doesn’t help if I speak publicly about saying we need this or that position, because it doesn’t help the negotiations. If I would say we’re desperate it just brings the prices up. It makes no sense and also the players that are here, you can’t guarantee the players who come in, how would they feel if you say you have to strengthen on this or that position. It would also mean the players who are here feel a bit not wanted or not valued. For that I don’t like to speak too much about publicly what we want to do. If there is business done we will speak about this and we are fully aware that we won’t fall asleep. We know it would be great to strengthen but I don’t want to point out this or that position. Everyone who has two eyes knows where we need to strengthen but I won’t make comments publicly.

Is Ryan Giles at Luton someone you admire?

I don’t speak about any players because it is the same, it doesn’t help. We just want to speak about players when business is done, that’s it.

What about players going out? I’m talking fringe players like Darko and Gelhardt?

Darko was in the last weeks part of the Under-21s and has trained with them. We got the feeling it is a good choice to have a loan because he needs to grow up with maturity on a good senior level, that’s important. We are working behind the scenes on a deal for him. I am carefully optimistic we find a good loan deal for him. Joffy is a proper part of our group and has played several games and minutes, and at the moment the group is definitely not too big and at the moment I am not tempted to give anymore players away. We had this decision with Djed Spence which was our decision, then to make the decision with Luke Ayling because he deserved to fulfil his wish. Now we want to keep more or less the group and strengthen the squad, we are not tempted to give players away, also not in offensive positions. Perhaps it is different situation at the end of January but right now we’re happy Joffy has returned back to team training in the first time yesterday with the team and is also available for the game at the weekend. All the players who are fit and available to pick have good chances to be in our travelling squad for the game and gameday squad.

Do the fit players include Byram and Strjuijk, you also have a decision to make in the goalkeeper position with Illan back, too?

Illan is thank god back and he will return back to the goal if nothing major happens in the next sessions. Sam Byram was able to join team training today, exactly like Ian Poveda, who was struggling with illness at the beginning of the week. Both were available for training today and for that I think they will both be able to travel with us to Cardiff. We have to see if it makes sense for 90 minutes but it is good to have them both back. It is the same with Joffy, he was out, but since yesterday back in training and available. This is also good news. The bad news is that Pascal will still be out for this game, no chance for him to travel, also Liam Cooper is a major doubt and was not able to train today. He reported groin problems and I don’t expect him to be available, so both will probably miss the game.

Finally from me, Daniel, three league away defeats on the bounce away from home, is there something you’re seeing consistently that is causing them? Will Patrick Bamford help solve that?

We are not happy with the outcome in our last league away games and we want to make sure we perform on the level we did in the cup game at Peterborough. It was a mature performance. In our last away games we were also a bit unlucky. At West Brom if you get two penalties in your favour and perhaps also a red card, then at Preston we played 45 minutes in underload with an unnecessary red card, then they scored the winner in the 90th minute into the top corner which was a bit unlucky. I want us to show resilience, more resilience, when there are perhaps a few decisions against us in away games. This is what we have to improve because we’ve shown already in the season we can be there with top performances away and results. We want to return back to this behaviour and experience always helps. We know we have one of the youngest squads in the league right now, after Ayling has left, even a bit more! It’s good to have an experienced player like Patrick Bamford reaching more or less his rhythm and close to being back at his best. It’s good to have a player like Patrick back. We need this experience, we have lots of young exciting players with lots of potential but if you want to be successful in this group, we also need leaders, maturity and experience in the dressing room. So it’s good to have Patrick back, keeping in mind Liam will also probably miss out this game. So, yes it is good to have him back.

Is it even harder in this market to get experience, is it more a market for youth?

Yes it’s more difficult. Sometimes young players are allowed out on loan, but also got the feeling it doesn’t make sense just to bring numbers in or a young player who hasn’t played in the last six months, so it has to make sense. If we do a deal it is definitely not out of panic. Then we go with our squad and go tighter together, and we have the repair things with unity and togetherness. As long as we find 11 players who are willing to represent the shirt, we have a chance wherever we go. This is also how we approach this window. We are working a lot behind the scenes and our key people are doing a great job but it is difficult to bring a quality and experienced player in and for that, we have to be more patient, but I am careful optimistic in the end we find good solutions.

The dressing room will be quieter without Luke Ayling, so are you looking for other players to speak up more now in his absence?

Sometimes I got the feeling our young players are joking and speaking too much! Sometimes I feel I am bit a older and I am close to having a headache when I have to listen to the voice of Georginio Rutter, and Cry Summerville and Willy Gnonto, so sometimes I have to calm them down! In terms of proper and sensible team talk it is important to have this and in this moment, even a bit more up to my leadership, to make sure everyone is really on it in the games and in training. Some of our younger players have to step up a bit. We have young players with leadership pedigree and captain pedigree in our group. We had Pascal and Ethan recently wearing the armband, so it is important they step up. It doesn’t help Pascal is out at the moment, but, it’s quite important young players like Illan or Joe Rodon who is on loan, but they step up more and they are doing this in this moment. We’ve got a pretty smart group, who sense right now we need to share the responsibility of leadership. Now Luke is away and Liam is not available due to injury, this is what we have to do. Is there is still a lack of leadership, it is up to me to lead the group tighter and a bit more. When there is not a perfect solution for a perfect balance, it is up to us to find the second best and we are trying to do this.

FARKE ON CRESSWELL

I spoke quite often and open two weeks ago about this topic. I can repeat it one more time, I don't want to bore you too much. I have nothing new to add. I have got a really good, open and honest relationship with Charlie. The situation is in the summer I knew I came in and in recent years all the coaches decided five or six centre-backs were allowed to be in our squad, to send him out on loan, that he was not one of the five or six centre-backs. One of my first decisions was we don't send him out on loan, we have to work with a tighter group due to the financial situation, perhaps we can just allow ourselves four centre-backs within the group, or four natural-born centre-backs. I said I want Charlie to be one of these four because he's a great character, one of our own, he's a young player and a good player with potential. That's the reason we decided to give him the long-term contract and fulfil his wish for the shirt number because we were fully convinced of his potential. But then it's also up [to me] to make decisions who plays or not. My decision was then that I played a lot with Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk in his position, in the starting line-up. In recent weeks Struijk was not available, also Liam Cooper because he is our club captain, he is experienced, that we need also experienced players in leadership roles, left-footed and Liam has repaid my trust whenever I needed him. It ended up with Charlie being our No. 4 centre-back and I was totally happy with this because for me to have an exciting young centre-back in this position to have the chance to improve and step-by-step bring himself into the starting XI, it is the perfect scenario. You could sense Charlie was not overly happy with this situation. Once I got this feeling, so sometimes he was travelling with us a bit like, he's not really switched on and focused. We spoke about this situation, quite open and honest and I want my players to be open and honest, he said: 'listen boss I totally appreciate everything and all the trust but for me it's difficult because for me I'm not happy to just be centre-back No. 4 - I want to be in the top two and I rate myself a starter here for Leeds'. Yes, it could be that he's right and I'm wrong and I choose Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk. There's no guarantee I'm always right but I'm in the chair and I have to make the decisions and decided to play Rodon for example, in this position ahead of him. He was then quite open, he said, 'it's not that much for me, I want to play in the top two roles'. I said it makes no sense if you're not fully committed and fully convinced, he was in the travelling squad and you could sense. He is a professional, he is never a problem with him, but it's not like he's fully committed and fully aware, 'come on, I'm greedy to get my chance', it was more like 'what am I doing? I want to start'. I totally also see why because he was great on youth level, he's a player with potential and he knows this. He has played fantastically for Millwall, one of their best-performing players in the defence, so he has proven already that he can be a really good Championship defender but I have to make the decisions here for Leeds United and that's just the topic. For that we have been in discussion, I always like him to be open and honest. It's the privilege and the right for the youth to be confident and brave in self-assessment. If he is that brave and from the self-assessment [like] 'no, no he is a starter', I totally get this because he has also arguments for this. I told him, 'listen, it just makes sense if you're picked up for me for a game, if you play with enthusiasm'. If you go into this game and say right now it's a chance for me to shine, not with this attitude 'oh right now because one or two players are injured I get my chance, I actually want to be somewhere else that I'm a leader'. The ball is in his court. We spoke about this, we use January right now, you either find a solution, that you want to play for a different club or you come to me and tell me 'I'm happy to be No. 4 and totally committed and I know I have to wait for my chance and to have to work for it each and every day in training and when there is a chance I'm excited and play with enthusiasm in order to make the next step'. Then perhaps to be centre-back No. 3 spot, then perhaps to be in the starting line-up, it's more like it's a process, but if you think you have the right to start ahead of Rodon or Struijk right now, it's not possible. With this mindset you won't be able to achieve this role so the ball is in his court. He won't be picked for myself until he's mentally ready or there's a different solution because I came here to bring some values to the club and just because on his position we have one or two injuries, yes, normally he would play, if you would be there with the right mindset, but it's not like for me then up to back a player right now, we need you, I'm grateful that you are then with us in this moment right now. I just want players who want to be there and accept their role, are fully on it. It's no accusation, I totally get Charlie's points, we have a really good relationship but the ball is in his court. One thing is also for sure, we don't present him as a gift and wrap him and give him to a club that doesn't fulfil our expectations. So, we have spent so much time and energy and money in his development and education and in his contract and he's a valuable player for us - he's one of our four centre-backs for Leeds United, that has a value. He judges himself even in the top two so there is a value, it's not like we can give him away for free and surely if he has this value then there is a club that will reach our expectations and that's it. We spoke about this in general and will see if this happens. The ball is in his court, we are totally open and honest and transparent about this and why I explained it again in this way but the situation is clear and either there is a solution where there is a club that makes our expectations for a player full of potential and with ambition to be a leader at least on Championship level, at least in the top two or not, but then he has to attack and also accept this role with the mindset, 'no, no I'm ready to fight'. That is the reason I have not picked Charlie in the recent weeks and I also won't pick him until the situation is sorted, but the ball is in his court.

FARKE ON EMOTION OF LUKE'S EXIT

As you can imagine, difficult if such a legend goes and not just a legend in terms of football. He's played nearly 300 games for us and was exceptional with crazy goals and crazy expectations and also what a human being he is, it's difficult. When you are allowed and have the privilege to work with such a guy every day, I saw him more than my family in the recent months, because we spend so much time together over the days on the away travels when you are [together] 24 hours, and you have such a great relationship - obviously he wanted to play a bit more but we still have a great relationship. It was a sad day, I know okay we can sometimes meet for a coffee or a dinner at some time. Right now we don't have the privilege to see him every day anymore. How important he was for the group and the players and the staff members who've worked longer than me with him, you can imagine it was a pretty emotional day. Not a sad day because it was his wish. We're happy we could fulfil him his wish and that he goes and has his final chapter of his Leeds United career on an up where he decided it and everybody says 'oh it's a bit too early'. It's much better than someone saying he should have finished his career one or two years ago - I think it's perfect timing for him. For that, yes it was emotional but we also get the feeling, we're happy we can present him such an emotional and top goodbye in a really good position. For that, it was also a really good day in a way, also.

FARKE ON NEEDING EXPERIENCE IN THE SQUAD

Yes, like I mentioned, a bit more experience would do no harm and would not be a problem, that's definitely for sure but again in January transfer window it's always a bit difficult. We lost many experienced player in the summer due to the situation. Right now yes there was a situation with Luke, it's not that easy to replace his experience. We also have a look and have this in our mind when speaking about possible incomings this month but sadly in January there is no guarantee you find the right player or even if you can afford this. We can't be too addicted to this, and perhaps we don't find the perfect solution so we have to fight with our tools, if we have to play with a bit more youth and sometimes even a bit more naivety, a bit more energy and intensity, then this is what we're trying to do.

FARKE ON COOPER CONTRACT SITUATION

Contract-wise it's the same situation, that's right, but in recent weeks it was also a different scenario because Luke was sometimes struggling even to make the game-day squad, and Liam was always involved, also played all the recent games, so for that it's a different scenario. He's slightly younger than Luke and has also played a lot. I think in this age, it's also important when you play for a new contract and want to present yourself, it's important you get game-time and minutes and that's what Liam gets at the minute. In this case it's definitely a different scenario, yes, we are all happy we have Liam and we hope he can return back as soon as possible to be available.

FARKE ON PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY

In general I never made a secret out of this why I came here. I said in the mid and the long-term I want to bring the club where it belongs and my conviction is this club belongs in the Premier League. I want to establish this club on Premier League level because I know we are a proud club and with self-confidence and I want us to be like this, but if we're honest, in the last two decades, we spent just three years there. If we're really honest, really good after returning the first year under Marcelo then two years of struggling against relegation and the third year we suffered relegation. At the moment we don't have the right to label ourselves an established Premier League club in the last two decades. This is why I came here, I want to bring this club back to the Premier League and to make sure that once we are back we have the chance to establish ourselves. As you can imagine, I would like to do this as quick as soon as possible, but I also mentioned in the summer it sometimes lasts a while. In the summer you couldn't really predict what our squad would look like. You speak about Cardiff right now, our squad against Cardiff on the opening game-day looks completely different right now to where we are. We know we're in a good position sitting comfortably in the play-off ranks, have many points and many other seasons we'd be even better with this points tally. We've done definitely well and alright but it's never a guarantee, even in this season, you get the chance to promote back already to the top flight. I mentioned also that we're lacking in comparison to some our opponents in the top positions in the table, a bit experience. We're one of the younger sides in this league. It's sometimes tricky if you're fighting for promotion and we had so many incomings and outgoings and even during this time it's sometimes tricky but we still have a chance. If you finish in the top six you definitely have a chance to go back to the Premier League by the play-offs. We still have a chance to chase the clubs ahead of us in the table. At the moment it's not too much to speak about the goals, it's keep going, we are not blind, we know we are in a good position in the table and if we keep going we have a chance to finish in a position that gives us even this season the chance to do this - I definitely wouldn't say no, but for that we have to work a lot, twenty games to go. In Germany this would be nearly a whole season if I'm really honest. So many points to play for and we know if we perform on our best level, we have a chance to finish in a really good position.

FARKE ON NORWICH EXPERIENCE

The situation is always slightly different I have to say because you can't compare Norwich with Leeds United, not the group of players we had, with the group of players I have right now. In Norwich it's like we could build in the first year and backed on it in the second year when we were promoted. This season was for us like a whirlwind, you can't compare the situation, sadly there's not the guarantee of the same outcome in my first season, but what definitely helps is my experience. Thank God, I had the advantage that I was involved several times in the fight for promotion and the fight for winning the title. Four times during my coaching career, two times here in England and two times in Germany I was allowed to win the title and promote to a higher league. This experience always helps, because you know what it makes with a group, if you're then really up there at the end of the season, what processes there are and what dangers are there, and what you need in terms of mentality and mindset into the crunch time period when the head is also working. This experience is what you need to do to bring a good position over the line. When you have this experience, it always helps. Being honest, my first title run it was in Germany in the fourth tier, I also missed out and I learned from it. When you're the first time involved in a title run it's difficult because you will have to make this experience, it's necessary to do so. Sadly it's not a guarantee we will have the same outcome in the end but what I can say is this experience, what I have to do as a manager, and I have to bring in the hearts in the heads and the souls of the players, this definitely helps. And hopefully it helps us in the end speak about some nice things about Leeds United.