‘I trust my group’ – Daniel Farke’s impassioned defence of four Leeds United players after transfer silence
Cameron Archer was a late target for Leeds United, but Daniel Farke is content with his current team.
Within twenty-four hours of the January transfer window closing without any additions in West Yorkshire, Daniel Farke made a detailed defense of his present Leeds United striker options.
When Southampton’s Cameron Archer loan was rejected last week, Leeds’ need for reinforcements at number nine became clear. Elland Road officials held out hope for a late transfer until Monday’s 11 p.m. deadline, but it never materialized, and rumors of a move for Archer’s teammate Adam Armstrong, who later joined West Brom, were quickly put to rest.
Leeds completed the January window exactly as they had begun it by losing out on Archer. Joel Piroe is the starting quarterback, but Mateo Joseph is eager to get off the bench and Patrick Bamford is out due to injury, though he is getting closer to rejoining the team. Farke stated that he is more than content with the current setup, even if there was clearly a chance for another choice.
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Daniel Farke on Leeds United’s transfer-window blank: ‘I am happy this club doesn’t think it has to pretend to be ambitious’
Daniel Farke described it as a sign of faith in his team and expressed his pride that Leeds United did not play for the wrong reasons on transfer deadline day.
When the winter transfer window ended on Monday night, Leeds and Bristol City were the only Championship teams without a player.
There were various interpretations of that. The Whites stood motionless as competitors like Sheffield United gained strength, which alarmed some.
The team with the most points, goals scored, and the highest goal differential in the division, according to Farke, demonstrated his confidence.
The Whites kept an eye on the market for a suitable center-forward, center-back, and a player in the hole behind the striker, but they rejected offers from teams like Southampton’s Adam Armstrong, who accepted a loan to West Bromwich Albion after Leeds and Middlesbrough rejected him.
Farke vehemently defended his club’s lack of action, claiming that it would have been a mistake to sign any of the available players.
“I think the main headline about our window is I trust my group,” he stated. “We currently hold the first spot in the table with 63 points after 30 games, which is over two thirds of the Championship.
“I don’t see any reason why this team shouldn’t take first place.
“Watching a James Bond movie was the way to go if you wanted a little suspense twenty years ago. These days, a reporter is at the training ground with rumors and updates, and you have two hours to watch the breaking news on deadline day.
“I don’t believe this is the best way to conduct club business if you’re in a good position. In the final hours, you shouldn’t be under time pressure. You can’t always avoid it.
“We had major issues following relegation in my first window after arriving, and it was somewhat the same; we had to complete some business in the final hours. The following day, we played a game, and you had no idea who would
“There is a lot of crazy and crazy stuff going on, and agencies are offering players to 20 different teams in Europe, so I don’t like doing really late business. As soon as the player signs a contract, he remarks that playing for this club is a childhood ambition. This is not something I believe in.
Was there business in the last days of the window for Liverpool, if you look at all the big leagues? No. What about Bayern Munich? Not a thing. Madrid Real? No incomings.
“I’m quite delighted, I have to say.”
Leeds, who turned down a £10 million Real Betis approach for striker Mateo Joseph, were unable to ward off interest in the players they wished to retain, unlike in the summer.
“One thing that was important for me was to block all the interest (in Leeds’ players),” Farke stated. “A few players were approached, but we preferred to retain the core group.
It obviously makes sense to give a young youngster some playing time through a loan move, as was the case with Charlie Crew, who joined Doncaster Rovers, and Joe Gelhardt, who joined Hull City.
Then, who ought to bolster your group? The possibilities are limited, especially in January. A loan player may occasionally be available, but you must choose one from a higher level because a loan player should help a team win the table.
The Premier League is there, of course, but there’s a reason a player is available on loan.
Is it truly better for us to have a player who doesn’t rank among the top 17 or 18 players in a Premier League team that finishes in the bottom half? Maybe a player from the top half of the Premier League, but if a player is loaned out by Chelsea, Manchester City, or Liverpool, it’s because they want to ensure that they play.
“We looked into permanent moves as an alternative, but in January, the available players who may strengthen your team are sometimes overpriced.
“Just because everyone else is doing this or because everyone is sitting in front of the TV watching breaking news or panicked, I don’t think you should just do business.
Additionally, I’m glad I work for a team that doesn’t feel the need to appear ambitious by making illogical signings and instead does business in a wise and sustainable manner.
“I just want to work for a club that wants to grow and succeed rather than acquire it.
“I would never have counted out the possibility that we happened to find the ideal specialist in the No. 10 position, either at center-back or striker, but it didn’t work out. Drawing a line beneath it, we proceed with what we have.
In terms of quality rather than quantity, Leeds’ roster is arguably the deepest in the division, yet Farke stated: “No player ever knocked on my door during this transfer window to tell me he wanted to leave or had to leave.” In addition to the loan players, there was nothing else. It is encouraging.
Leeds’ strong health—Patrick Bamford is the lone player missing Wednesday’s league match against Coventry City—is another factor contributing to the lack of urgency in signing players.
