Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter
Someone who repairs, replaces and reshapes a team is how Daniel Farke’s role at Leeds United could be described, rather than someone who keeps and examines the money in and out of Elland Road. A rebuilder rather than a recorder.
“I’m a sportsman, and I concentrate on sports and the quality of the players – I’m not an accountant,” Farke said when commenting on the club’s summer transfer signings.
The sum total of that brought him three defenders, two wingers, two midfielders and a goalkeeper – but not the coveted number 10. A reported £13m bid for Sheffield United’s Gus Hamer was, according to Blades boss Chris Wilder, a low-ball attempt to prise away a player they paid about £15m for a year ago.
“I’m not there in order to make the the key decisions. I’m there to identify the targets that are possible with the money set we are allowed – I’m allowed – to spend and I try to make the best out of this to bring the best potential players together, with our persons in the background who work on transfers.”
Some of those transfers Farke referred to as “interesting”, and on first showing in the 2-0 victory over Hull City, Manor Solomon’s fine display, coupled with the impressive cameo roles from Ao Tanaka and Largie Ramazani, made you wonder how much interest Leeds must have fought off from elsewhere to land their targets.
But in the glow of victory and after the sight of shiny new toys on the pitch, Farke reminded everybody his team should no longer be considered favourites for automatic promotion.
“It’s never easy when you don’t have a traditional number 10 but as a club we decided to go this way.. You have to spend an unbelievable amount of money, and during the summer the club has decided not to do this – and that’s absolutely fine and we work with what we’ve got.”
The rebuild is afoot, without the marquee signing, but the expectation to go up remains unaltered.
Farke knows the score… and it is not a perfect 10.
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