The pressure is mounting on Leeds United manager Daniel Farke.
The team’s display in the 2-1 loss against Aston Villa was encouraged by the push for an equaliser. It even reached as far as 2-2 on the scoreboard temporarily before VAR judged that Dominic Calvert-Lewin handballed it in and disallowed the goal.
However, encouraging is not what will keep the team in the Premier League. Many saw the same fate follow Ipswich Town last season under Kieran McKenna who started the season well despite not racking up the points that led to their season being curtailed swiftly. Ultimately, United let a 1-0 lead slip against Unai Emery’s side and conceding goals, yet scoring little have been the story of the season.
The Whites have now lost 5 of their last 6 Premier League games, with tough fixtures to follow. Remarkably, their most realistic chance of getting points until January is against champions Liverpool. Even in bad form, they will still be heavy favourites against this struggling Leeds side.
United dropped into the relegation zone for the first time this season over the weekend. The real mission is to scrap themselves back out of it, which the other two teams – Burnley and Wolves – have struggled hard to do once pitted down there.
For Farke, his struggles in the Premier League continue and his days as Leeds manager could be numbered. Several managerial names have been linked to the job, but one name has emerged as favourite in recent days.
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Who Is Bo Svensson?
Before the international break, it was Marco Rose who was strong favourite to replace Farke. But the ever-changing world of football has seen Bo Svensson spearhead the names linked to Elland Road.
Svensson started his career at Mainz 05 in 2015 as a youth coach, shortly after retiring at the club as a defender between 2007 and 2014. In 2019, he headed over to Austria to manage FC Liefering in the second division, finishing 2nd and 3rd in successive seasons.
It didn’t take long for his old club Mainz 05 to come calling, as the German club appointed Svensson as their head coach in 2021. An incredible run of form saw the club weave their way out of an inevitable relegation battle, which will encourage Leeds fans.
The Dane left the club despite solidifying the team as mid-table contenders pushing for Europe, after a poor start to the 2023/24 season. He took on the impossible task of ‘replacing’ Urs Fischer at Union Berlin, who had guided the club into the Champions League. Firstly, Marco Grote and then Nenad Bjelica were hired to replace Fischer and failed.
Svensson tried his best afterwards, but only last 5 months at the club. Yet his managerial legacy in German football is highly respectable, so Leeds fans should afford themselves some excitement as Svensson is the lead runner to take over Farke.
The Dane’s record of his Great Escape with Mainz is exactly the reslient power and fire that Leeds need right now. Should the 49ers consortium pull the trigger on Farke’s dismissal this week or hold on until after the Manchester City game?
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