Ex-Leeds United man's 'stubborn' admission as Daniel Farke handed fast start advice

Former Leeds United man David Norris has stressed the importance of getting off to a fast start in the Championship next season. The Whites are approaching a pivotal summer with so much to be decided after missing out on promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

With the club having to cut their cloth accordingly, it seems a possibility that at least one key man could be sold this summer with the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray linked away. Leeds must add fresh faces to their squad and strengthen key areas, too, but how much they will be able to spend this summer remains to be seen.

What's clear, though, is that United will be pressing ahead with Daniel Farke at the helm, with chairman Paraag Marathe underlining the support the German has within Elland Road in the days that followed the play-off final defeat. Farke took Leeds to third in his first season at the club with a points total of 90, which in any ordinary season would have been enough to claim automatic promotion.

With Leicester City and Ipswich Town steaming ahead, though, Leeds had to settle for third despite winning 27 of their 46 games, and from there the lottery of the play-offs got the better of them. How Leeds started and ended the campaign was ultimately their downfall, with the club, dropping too many points at either end of the season.

Hitting the ground running next season will be the aim for Leeds come the weekend of August 10 and Farke will be keen to draw a line under this season by getting points on the board early. Should the German struggle to get Leeds away to a strong start, though, Norris believes questions could start to be asked about his capability to take the club back to the Premier League.

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“I think overall, he had a good season – and I think the club are right to hang onto him,” Norris, who spent two and a half years at Leeds as a player, told MOT Leeds News. “I know they were expected [to get promoted], but it’s a tough league.

“He has that stubborn [Marcelo] Bielsa mentality of sticking to playing his way which I know can get frustrating for fans, but it’s too easy to sack managers these days. He’ll need to start next season well. If he doesn’t, I don’t think he’ll last long into the season, but I can see Leeds being right up there.”

Indeed Leeds are the favourites with the bookmakers to win promotion at this early stage of the summer, with newly relegated sides Burnley and Luton Town marginally behind them in most odds lists. The club have already outlined that they'll be doing everything they can to win promotion at the second time of asking.