Daniel Farke turns to Elvis for inspiration in Leeds' Championship promotion bid
He's not all shook up, but Daniel Farke could not resist quoting Elvis Presley when asked about Leeds’ promotion chances.
Leeds are the talk of the Championship heading into Friday’s Yorkshire derby with Rotherham and they have won six of their last seven games to close the gap on the top two. Farke dislikes such chatter and says he is sticking by the King of Rock and Roll’s famous lyrics “a little less conversation, a little more action”.
The Leeds boss told Mirror Sport: “We’re on a good path, but let’s not get carried away and speak about the Premier League. Our supporters are definitely allowed to dream and to think big. I want to help stabilise this club and, yes, bring success. But it’s more like what Elvis Presley says a little bit more action, a little less conversation. This is my topic, so the principle is Elvis Presley.”
Farke has overseen huge changes at Elland Road in the wake of relegation last season and 15 players left and eight have come in. The German has proved shrewd in the transfer market and Joel Piroe is Leeds’ joint-top scorer with six goals, Joe Rodon has impressed on loan from Tottenham and midfielder Ethan Ampadu looks an absolute steal for £7million.
He’s also given 17-year-old Archie Gray his head and the England Under-20 midfielder is the latest product from Leeds’ royal family, made famous by his grandfather Frank and great uncle Eddie.
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Joel Piroe has shone since arriving at Leeds (Simon Davies/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)Leeds took just two points from their opening three games as Farke grappled with all the problems he inherited and he admits they were difficult days. “I was in a situation after relegation, and I know what it means to take over a club which has a bit of a hangover and there are a few question marks,” he said.
“I had game days in the beginning where I wasn’t able to fill the bench and on the training pitch where we had just 14 or 15 players, and the half the squad was thinking about a loan move. It was a hell of a task and it’s still a big task and challenge to bring stability to this emotional, big club. My days are much more relaxed and smooth than they were in the summer.”
Farke, 47, knows what it takes to win promotion from his two Championship title successes with Norwich in 2019 and 2021 and says 26 wins should be enough to go up directly.
“We need to win many more games to achieve what we want to achieve,” he said. “If you want to finish in the play-offs, then you need 20 wins in the season and obviously also draws.
“If you want to be there with direct promotion, you need probably 26 wins and several draws. For me it’s just the last five or six games when you look on the table and think ‘OK, it’s crunch time’.”
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