Daniel Farke had one complaint about his Leeds United players after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United, and he called it his “solitary criticism”. The Leeds head coach said the quality in front of goal and in the crossing was not good enough, according to the club’s official website.
Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead on 35 minutes, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin levelled in the second half. Leeds had most of the ball but could not find a winner. Our match report has the full story of the game.
“We were the better side”
Farke said his team wanted the win badly. “We’re even a bit disappointed we didn’t win it,” he told the club. “I think we were the better side, the dominant side. It was not necessary to be losing at half-time.”
He pointed to the first half as a missed chance. “We lacked a bit in our decision making in the first half,” he said, adding that Leeds should have played with more clarity in and around the box.
Farke solitary criticism: finishing and crossing
Things improved after the break, but the final touch let Leeds down. “There were too many strikes over the crossbar and too many crosses were a bit too long,” Farke said. “This situation killed a bit our momentum. This lack of quality in the finishing and crossing was the only thing I could criticise.”
The club’s report says Leeds had three good shooting opportunities in the game.
Praise for the way Leeds handled the counter
Farke was happy with how his players dealt with United’s threat on the break. “With a counter attack they can still hurt you, and we have not allowed anything in the second half,” he said. “With a bit more quality in the final third I think we could have even won it.”
He also explained why he used Sean Longstaff and Lukas Nmecha from the bench, while Harry Wilson and Jean-Matteo Bahoya stayed in reserve. “We had to defend a bit like a basketball team, always quick transition moments for Man United and we needed legs,” he said. Because United played so deep, he wanted physicality and experience instead of a “genius pass”.
Source: Leeds United official website, 18 October 2026.
Lead image: Daniel Farke applauds after the draw with Manchester United. Photo: Leeds United FC / leedsunited.com. Cropped and resized.
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