Daniel Farke led Leeds to winning the Championship this season, but the German faces a tough battle to keep the Yorkshire side in the Premier League next campaign
Former Leeds striker Brian Deane reckons it’s even more important for Daniel Farke to keep the club in the Premier League next season with plans in place to expand Elland Road’s capacity to 53,000.
Leeds’ American owners have given Farke a vote of confidence following reports that they were looking to replace the German despite winning the Championship with a stunning 100-point tally.
Deane, who played for United for three years when they were a Premier League force in the early 1990s, understood the issues that the 49ers Enterprise Global Enterprise Football Group struggled with before backing the boss.
He told BetSelect: “Once you put plans into place to extend the stadium, it’s going to bring that added bit of pressure for the manager. So I wasn’t surprised by the speculation about Daniel Farke. There will be a camp that says Leeds need to back him, while others would argue that a higher-profile manager will attract a higher level of players.
“I don’t like talking about people potentially losing their jobs because I respect what the guy has done. But I think Daniel’s lack of proven experience in the Premier League and the ability to attract big players for the project might have been an issue.
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“Players and agents perhaps won’t be as excited to play for Daniel Farke as they would for a big-name manager. There are also other clubs with a lot more money. This squad and manager are untested in the Premier League and it’s going to be a challenge.
“Maybe too much of a challenge for the players who want to walk into an already successful Premier League team. Expanding the stadium will eventually bring in more revenue. The idea will also be that playing in front of 53,000 fans will appeal to big-name players who can eventually take the club into the higher echelons of European football.
“The expansion will help to make that happen, so I think it is a fantastic project. But Leeds need to deliver on the pitch first – and that means staying in the Premier League.”
Deane made history in 1993 when he scored the first-ever Premier League goal in Sheffield United’s victory over Manchester United. He is hoping that the Blades can still give him a double this season after finishing behind Leeds and Burnley in the race for the automatic promotion spots.
Chris Wilder’s team took a huge step towards Wembley with a 3-0 win at Bristol City on Thursday night. And Deane is hoping Wilder’s men can see the job through to give Yorkshire two Premier League clubs next season.
He added: “I spoke to Chris at an awards ceremony the other week and he said that the squad is in a good place. They were really unlucky because Burnley and Leeds Uhave been fantastic this year. Having 90 points and not getting an automatic promotion must be one of the worst feelings ever.
“But as a manager, the players will be looking at him and taking their lead from him. He’s upbeat, and he’s been in these positions before.
“Sheffield United don’t have anything to fear from the other teams. It’s just a mental preparation for the players. They know that they’re superior to the other teams in the play-offs.
“Premier League football is something Yorkshire needs. It’s been one of the most important footballing regions, so having two clubs promoted would be a fantastic boost.”
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