Daniel Farke banishes Leeds United supporter criticism in epic way v Sunderland & Sheffield United | OneFootball

Daniel Farke has expertly used his bench to win Leeds crucial games against Sunderland and Sheffield United.

Daniel Farke has Leeds United top of the Championship table. Five points clear of Monday night's opponents Sheffield United after a 3-1 win, there's a sense of the German motoring towards a third title at this level in four attempts.

Leeds came up short 12 months ago under Farke, finishing third on 90 points and then losing the play-off final to Southampton at Wembley.

The summer offered him the chance to rebuild and prove his dominance to the Leeds fans at this level. They suffered in a promotion race against his excellent Norwich City side in 2018/19, who he also led to the Championship title in 2020/21. Yet, there are long-term doubts about his suitability to Leeds and even some questions asked of him in the Championship on the back of last season.

Leeds fans' main Farke criticism

Substitutions are often hotly debated

It's strange to say that Leeds' support have doubts over Farke at this level; it's understandable if this was the Premier League given his Norwich relegation and trajectory before his sacking in November 2021. Less so in the Championship, though.

90 points last season was an incredible haul bettered by Leicester City and Ipswich Town, yet it could be argued Leeds had the best squad, and it's a fact that they had their fate in their own hands at points during the run-in.

Losing at Wembley with a bit of a whimper didn't do Farke many favours on the back of that. Leeds started the current season with back-to-back draws before finding their groove, yet amongst a run of wins towards the end of 2024, it was the defeats that were elevating talking points.

Defeats to Burnley, Millwall and Blackburn sparked debate about how Farke was unable to swing momentum with the use of his substitutes, despite possessing an envious amount of talent amongst his nine options. The tactic of throwing as many offensive players at the game rarely paid off, and even left Leeds open to a sucker punch on the break.

There's also frustration with the predictability of the 48-year-old's changes on 70 minutes and their personnel; with four quality wingers in Dan James, Manor Solomon, Largie Ramazani and Willy Gnonto, the obvious change is like-for-like in a bid to change the game.

That's a perception that's changed at the start of 2025, and it's changed in quite a crucial way against promotion contenders Sunderland and Sheffield United.

Key impacts v Sunderland and Sheffield United have Whites top

Heading into the 70th minute last week against Sunderland, Leeds trailed 1-0 and the live table had a four-point gap separating first and fourth, thanks to Wilson Isidor's magnificent solo goal.

James and Solomon were battling away on the flanks, as Sky Sports cameras continuously cut to Ramazani and Gnonto warming up on the touchline.

Farke's change, though, was to introduce Joe Rothwell and Pascal Struijk for his two central midfielders, Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev.

Elland Road witnessed a stunning comeback, driven on by Rothwell from midfield. His delivery from set-pieces was head and shoulders above what Gruev was producing. Struijk was head and shoulders above Sunderland defenders, glancing a header beyond Anthony Patterson from Rothwell's free-kick for 1-1.

That same duo combined with seconds left on the clock: Rothwell's cross and Struijk in an unstoppable position to score with his head.

"Normally you bring your offensive players in but today I took two midfielders out and brought a centre-back and midfielder in," Farke said after Sunderland. "It was a bit against the tide, but the feeling was that we had to score out of a set-piece.

"I always back Joe Rothwell to be the best set-piece taker in our team and Pascal the best target in terms of scoring. We are not the tallest side. To have him on the pitch is always crucial, and the feeling was in the last 20 minutes we would have to score in one of these (set-piece) moments."

A week on and Leeds found themselves needing something similar at Bramall Lane.

An Illan Meslier own goal had them up against it in the Sheffield cauldron. The changes came earlier this time on 58 minutes: Rothwell for Gruev, Mateo Joseph for Brenden Aaronson.

Leeds had some momentum but generated more. Chris Wilder's own tweaks (mainly withdrawing focal point Tyrese Campbell) helped, but Farke, watching on from the gantry after picking up a suspension for over-celebrating against Sunderland, deserves the praise once more.

Joseph wasted a good chance, lashing over from a Rothwell corner that Sheffield United couldn't clear, but the signs were there and Leeds had the in-game league leaders on the ropes.

The equaliser came from a James cross and an outstanding Junior Firpo header; Farke was rewarded for sticking with his starting winger rather than going for the obvious change of like-for-like as Ramazani and Gnonto waited in the wings.

Gnonto did come on for Solomon and forced a good Michael Cooper save, but that delayed the inevitable. Rothwell's resulting corner was helped on by Firpo and found Tanaka, whose perfect header was unstoppable on the line.

Seconds later, Joel Piroe emphatically smashed Leeds into a 3-1 lead. Farke's main goalscorer with his 15th of the season, the winter months mean he's now irreplaceable from the bench when the Whites need a goal, no matter how he's performing.

Leeds' gap to Sheffield United is now five points. Leeds' gap to Burnley sits at seven points. Sunderland are 13 off the summit that they were so close to at 9pm last Monday.

Leeds now embracing the Farke journey

Fanbase enjoying the here and now

A head coach or manager is easy to embrace when the wins are flowing like they are for Leeds. There's little point looking ahead to what the Premier League could potentially hold under Farke, and fans are starting to enjoy the here and now, naturally, after recent wins.

Leeds' fanbase have perhaps been guilty of looking too far ahead during the German's time at Elland Road, but there's a different feeling now after Sunderland and Sheffield United. The results obviously help and so does the growing belief that Farke's side never look beaten, particularly given he's got a grasp on the unorthodox ways he can use his bench to turn games on their heads.

Rothwell, Struijk, and, to a lesser extent, Joseph have had a big impact on the biggest week of the season for Leeds, where six points from direct rivals has Elland Road dreaming of promotion; the away end at Bramall Lane last night were particularly vocal about that feeling.

Title talk with 36 points left to play for in the Championship is ridiculous, of course, but perhaps so was doubting Farke's ability to influence games in a division he dominates.