Despite Setback, Leeds United Manager Daniel Farke "100% Convinced" of Premier League Promotion
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke remains unwavering in his belief that his team will secure promotion to the Premier League next season, even after a disappointing 2-2 draw against Swansea City at Elland Road.
"If you ask me right now, I'm 100% convinced that next season we will play in the Premier League," Farke declared following Saturday's match, which saw Leeds miss an opportunity to reclaim the top spot in the Championship standings.
The match against Swansea started promisingly with Brenden Aaronson giving Leeds an early lead in the first minute. Goalkeeper Illan Meslier then saved a Josh Tymon penalty, seemingly setting the stage for a comfortable Leeds victory. However, the game took several dramatic turns, with Meslier later dropping the ball to gift Harry Darling an equalizer.
Willy Gnonto appeared to have secured all three points for Leeds with what looked to be the winning goal, before Zan Vipotnik's 96th-minute equalizer silenced the home crowd and forced Leeds to settle for a point.
The draw leaves Leeds in second place, two points behind Sheffield United, who took over as leaders after beating Coventry 3-1 on Friday. Leeds had been five points clear of the Blades after winning at Bramall Lane late last month but have collected only six points in their last five games.
Leeds are now only ahead of third-placed Burnley on goal difference, creating a tense promotion race as the season approaches its climax.
"We have gone many, many steps and right now it's the final step. That's always the most difficult," Farke explained. "There's never a guarantee of success but we have been in this situation before."
The German manager acknowledged the challenges of leading from the front but expressed confidence in his team's ability to cross the finish line. "I know how tricky it sometimes is to lead from the front but also what is necessary to bring it over the line and we will try everything to make sure the lads have the best chance to make the final step."
Leeds fans may be experiencing déjà vu, as last season saw their automatic promotion hopes collapse after a run of just one win from their final six league games, which allowed Ipswich to claim second place. To compound their disappointment, Leeds then lost to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley.
However, Farke insists this season is different. "It's a different group and a different scenario," he said. "Last season we were not in the situation of leading from the front, or had a point gap to the others or the others had to chase. This season we have been in the leading role and we are still in the situation that if we win we will finish in the top two due to the fact they [Burnley and Sheffield United] have to play against each other."
Reflecting on the disappointing draw against Swansea, Farke remained philosophical. "If you want to take part in sports, you can't expect the sun to be always shining," he told BBC Radio Leeds. "Sometimes you are on the wrong end over the course of a long season. We have had great winners at the last moment of the game when the opponent felt the disappointment and had to suffer like we did today. Today we are on the wrong end. If you concede an equaliser in this manner then of course it's heartbreaking."
Despite Meslier's error leading to Swansea's first goal, Farke refused to criticize his goalkeeper and instead attributed the team's performance to the disruption caused by the international break.
"It was obvious to see what happened today," he explained. "It was a typical first game after an international break, it was a scruffy game. We weren't at our best. The team was more or less not together for two weeks, we just had one training session."
Farke noted that the team improved after the break. "We spoke at half-time about shaking off the rustiness of the international break and we were much better in the second half. We reacted fantastically to their [first] equaliser. We found the next gear and the substitutions made an impact. We took the risk bringing Willy [Gnonto] on and it looked like it was written for him to score the winner."
As Leeds enters the final stretch of the Championship season, Farke's confidence will be crucial in rallying his squad to secure the promotion that narrowly eluded them last season.
