"The biggest issue" - Leeds United: Daniel Farke "red flags" cannot be ignored | OneFootball

The Whites boss hasn't convinced everyone at Elland Road about his suitability for taking the club to the top

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

With just two defeats to their name all season, Leeds United continue to be a prominent part of the leading pack in the Championship, and sit in third spot as we head into the international break.

While Daniel Farke’s side may have only emerged pointless from matches twice so far, an inability to turn draws into wins has left a number of those at Elland Road craving for more from those on the pitch of late.

With memories of last season’s play-off final defeat still firmly lodged in their minds, the Yorkshire side will be looking to avoid any end-of-season shenanigans this time around, with automatic promotion the aim of the game by the time May comes around.

But with that in mind, Football League World’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith has his doubts over the man in the dugout and his ability to change a game at this moment in time, which could come back to bite them before too long.

Daniel Farke’s lack of in-game management could cost Leeds United

You only have to look at the last eight games for occasions when Leeds may have wished to have come away with more than they have done in the Championship, with last week’s defeat at Millwall a prime example.

Despite limiting the hosts to very little, Japhet Tanganga’s opener five minutes before the break made all the difference at The Den, as the visitors huffed and puffed but failed to make any inroads despite having over three quarters of the ball.

A stalemate with Bristol City also saw them drop two points at Ashton Gate, leaving them sitting two points behind Sheffield United and Sunderland at the top of the second tier as we head into the enforced league hiatus this weekend.

While there are no major concerns for the Whites at this moment in time, Smith has been left concerned by the German’s management at times this season, with his side failing to see games out convincingly.

When asked about the biggest issue at the club right now, the United fan said: “I do think it is not the squad we need or have to gain promotion from the Championship, because it is very good, but it is actually Daniel Farke’s management.

“The positive things about Farke are that Leeds are statistically the best team in the Championship; whether it is xG created being up there with Middlesbrough, or the xG conceded being remarkably clear of anyone in the division.

“That is down to Farke’s coaching, to organise us in that way, but I think there are shortcomings of his game that are major red flags for him in the long-term.

“The biggest issue for me, is how he approaches second-halves under Farke, and that comes down to his in-game management, and when Leeds are chasing a game we never look like getting back into it that often, it just looks like the same old thing every time.

“Or even when we are in the lead, and we need subs to freshen things up, it is the same problem every single time, and it is nothing new for Leeds fans, with the concerns being the same time and again.”

Daniel Farke needs to heed Leeds United warning

While a few dropped points here and there are unlikely to see Leeds drop out of contention for promotion any time soon, it is when Smith looks to the future that he becomes worried about this latest trend.

Having missed out narrowly on an immediate return to the Premier League last season, United will be looking to get over the line by the end of the current campaign, which is when work needs to start to maintain the Yorkshire outfit as a top flight side.

While Smith could be accused of looking too far into the future with his worries right now, he is concerned about constant repetition of Farke’s decisions, which fail to reap rewards.

The Leeds fan continued: “In the Championship it doesn’t matter as much, because we are winning a lot of games, and our side is superior to most, so we can get by with the quality between us and the opposition.

“But if we are promoted, I would expect the fact that Farke consistently being unable to make tweaks to games will come back to haunt him an awful lot when we are not better on the pitch, in terms of the players we have on paper.

“How he changes that is hard to say, because we have all been so critical of his use of subs and how he manages games, and nothing is changing.”