Daniel Farke has a huge amount of trust in his players, something he made clear in his pre-match press conference following some criticism of the team’s performance, the level of urgency in their play and his own substitution policy after a 0-0 draw with Sunderland on Tuesday night. He said: “After each and every game you analyse what we have done, also pretty self critical what we as a coaching staff or me as a manager could have done better. But you never know. So it's impossible to judge because you never know if you would have played a game, for example, the last game with a completely different line-up or you substitute earlier or you substitute not at all. You never know, if a different striker would have perhaps scored or if I should have let Patrick Bamford longer on the pitch because he would have scored in the last minute or whatever, or you should have changed the base formation. You never know. It's also why we love the sport that much because everyone can have an opinion. But for me it's just important that I totally trust my players and my group of players otherwise we wouldn't share for example that many goals.
"Yes, if someone thinks we should be there with better decisions, I can't argue against this because I can't prove the difference. Like I mentioned before I like to stay humble and also to stay self critical and I don't want to put myself into the spotlight. But staying humble, I love the statistics, I think I was nominated three times right now and won three times the manager of the month. I am nominated for manager of the season, we are playing the best season in the history of this club in terms of points. We have the best defensive record, we have the best home record in the league, we have the best home record in the history of Leeds United Football Club. We are there with 87 points after 42 games, we have shared many many goals, we have the best goal difference. We have still the chance to play the perfect season. It could be that it's perhaps because of me that we are not there even better in the table and are already promoted. It could be, I can't argue against this because I can't prove it a different way round. But one thing is also for sure, although I try to analyse each and every game and I also like to be self critical, if I am allowed to say this in a humble way, I am also not too nervous or too critical about our season so far. The most important topic is I totally trust and back my players and I also managed the season out of this league also a few times and you have a gut feeling and the gut feeling right now is we are out to create something special in the last games and the gut feeling is that we are allowed also to look back on the season and speak about it being quite a successful season. It's just the gut feeling I have and we will see what the outcome is.”
Farke’s trust for his players has been seen in the lack of wholesale changes to the starting line-up throughout the campaign, though he has freshened things up when necessary and allowed players to fight their way into the side. And while an unchanged line-up would not come as a massive shock when the team news comes at 11.30am on Saturday morning, there are a couple of changes we could see. Here’s our predicted XI.
7. Archie Gray
The 18-year-old has been good at right-back and did an excellent job on the tricky Jack Clarke on Tuesday but the midfield feels like it needs something a bit different, maybe a slightly different profile. Farke might well stick with Glen Kamara but this is a change we could just about see. Pic: George Wood/Getty Images Photo: George Wood
8. Willy Gnonto
With Daniel James struggling to replicate some of the excellent form he's shown this season, might now be the time for Gnonto to come back in? He's looked sharp in recent weeks and gives Leeds real danger from outside the area. Pic: Ed Sykes/Getty Images Photo: Ed Sykes
9. Crysencio Summerville
The dangerman. You just wouldn't leave him out at the minute, not when he can create the difference in a game with a dart inside and a curling shot for the far corner. Needs to be on it though, he was frustrated on Tuesday night. Pic: George Wood/Getty Images Photo: George Wood
10. Georginio Rutter
After seven assists and one goal in six matches, Rutter has now gone four games without a goal contribution but his skill on the ball makes him hugely important. Needs a goal but an assist or two would do if Leeds won. Pic: George Wood/Getty Images Photo: George Wood
11. Patrick Bamford
Mateo Joseph is breathing down his neck for that starting place but it's really difficult to see Farke dropping Bamford just now. He wanted his number nine on the pitch for as long as possible on Tuesday night, even if the confidence isn't flowing as it as. It seems likely that he starts again. Pic: George Wood/Getty Images Photo: George Wood