So, here we are then, the dawn of the new season and DF’s first pre-match presser for the opening game on Saturday v Portsmouth at ER.
Well worth a listen (see link below) and summed up well by Popey on the Beeb’s pages:
“Leeds manager Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Saturday's game against newly-promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road, the club's first Championship match of the 2024-25 season. Here are the main headlines from his news conference:
Full-back Jayden Bogle went off against Valencia with a dead leg, but Farke said "every player is fit and available" to face Portsmouth.
On the potential for more new signings: "We're picky. I want players who are desperate to defend this white shirt, and the yellow shirt. We want to have great characters and great identification with the club. This always a hurdle."
Leeds have been linked with moves for Norwich's Jonathan Rowe and Wolves' Hugo Bueno. Asked how confident he is that Leeds will sign their main targets, Farke said: "I'm in a pretty good and lucky position. We have supportive and ambitious owners.
We still have to pay for some sins of the past. We had great transfer sums this summer but we are only able to spend a fraction of it. You have to be a bit more patient."
On wanting to spread goals around all areas of the team, particularly after Crysencio Summerville's departure: "The gut feeling was we shared the goals around last season. We shared the goals in the offence a lot. We're lacking a few goals from midfield and in the second half of the season from set pieces.
For expected goals we were top of the league, but our conversion rate was not always top. If we convert a bit more, we'll finish in the position we want to finish."
Could any of the promoted trio - Portsmouth, Derby or Oxford - be as strong as Ipswich last season? "It's hard to predict," said Farke. "You couldn't predict something like an Ipswich promotion, it was an exceptional thing for them. But I'm full of respect for our new opponents."
On Saturday's opponents Portsmouth: "I'm full of respect. If you are able to win League One and be a possession side with 97 points, you have the quality to play a solid role in the Championship".
The main omission (for me) from Popey’s summary is that DF is adamant that the club are in a better position now versus this time last season. I guess I’ve got to accept that and I wish him, the team, the club and all of us all the very best for the new season👍.
💙🤍💛
https://video.leedsunited.com/video/dm9kJTdDMF9rYnNmODFqbSU3QyUyRnBhZ2UlM0ZzbHVnJTNEaG9tZSU3Q2hvbWUlMkZmZWVk
Pre-match presser v Portsmouth
posted on 9/8/24
comment by HaveFaithInLeeds (U8688)
posted 4 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by kammys left foot / mbe (U21862)
posted 2 hours, 42 minutes ago
comment by The Spanish Italians - Its all coming home again (U21595)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 4 hours, 24 minutes ago
We are significantly weaker as a squad compared to start of last season.
We’ve lost Gray, Summerville, Kamara, Cresswell, Sinisterra, Ayling, Cooper, Spence and we’ve brought in, Rothwell, Bogle and our old goalkeeper.
I’m not saying Spencer was great but when we came to us of course everyone was happy.
I think we are significantly weaker and I can’t believe we haven’t got more inbounds coming in as this squad looks very thin now.
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As ever..... a wave of positivity to start the season
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Incredibly disingenuous comment, not surprised though.
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moi ? non, mes commentaires sont factuels et honnêtes
posted on 9/8/24
comment by salonika73 (U4688)
posted 16 hours, 8 minutes ago
Am I the only person who finds Farke extremely irritating? Repetitive? Longwinded? Even self-promoting at times. Literally spends 4 minutes answering a question that could be answered in 30 seconds.
Know it's not important or part of the job description, but really struggle to warm to the guy
Yes English is his second language, but
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yes
posted on 9/8/24
comment by kammys left foot / mbe (U21862)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by HaveFaithInLeeds (U8688)
posted 4 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by kammys left foot / mbe (U21862)
posted 2 hours, 42 minutes ago
comment by The Spanish Italians - Its all coming home again (U21595)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 4 hours, 24 minutes ago
We are significantly weaker as a squad compared to start of last season.
We’ve lost Gray, Summerville, Kamara, Cresswell, Sinisterra, Ayling, Cooper, Spence and we’ve brought in, Rothwell, Bogle and our old goalkeeper.
I’m not saying Spencer was great but when we came to us of course everyone was happy.
I think we are significantly weaker and I can’t believe we haven’t got more inbounds coming in as this squad looks very thin now.
--------------------
As ever..... a wave of positivity to start the season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Incredibly disingenuous comment, not surprised though.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
moi ? non, mes commentaires sont factuels et honnêtes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I meant the original one, not the responses to it.
Including Sinisterra in last seasons squad and omitting Wober & Aaronson from this seasons to make the situation appear much worse than it is, is just dishonest. And typical of someone with an agenda.
posted on 9/8/24
comment by The Spanish Italians - Its all coming home aga... (U21595)
posted 7 hours, 47 minutes ago
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 4 hours, 24 minutes ago
We are significantly weaker as a squad compared to start of last season.
We’ve lost Gray, Summerville, Kamara, Cresswell, Sinisterra, Ayling, Cooper, Spence and we’ve brought in, Rothwell, Bogle and our old goalkeeper.
I’m not saying Spencer was great but when we came to us of course everyone was happy.
I think we are significantly weaker and I can’t believe we haven’t got more inbounds coming in as this squad looks very thin now.
--------------------
As ever..... a wave of positivity to start the season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You expect anything else?
posted on 9/8/24
comment by HaveFaithInLeeds (U8688)
posted 26 minutes ago
comment by kammys left foot / mbe (U21862)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by HaveFaithInLeeds (U8688)
posted 4 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by kammys left foot / mbe (U21862)
posted 2 hours, 42 minutes ago
comment by The Spanish Italians - Its all coming home again (U21595)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 4 hours, 24 minutes ago
We are significantly weaker as a squad compared to start of last season.
We’ve lost Gray, Summerville, Kamara, Cresswell, Sinisterra, Ayling, Cooper, Spence and we’ve brought in, Rothwell, Bogle and our old goalkeeper.
I’m not saying Spencer was great but when we came to us of course everyone was happy.
I think we are significantly weaker and I can’t believe we haven’t got more inbounds coming in as this squad looks very thin now.
--------------------
As ever..... a wave of positivity to start the season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Incredibly disingenuous comment, not surprised though.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
moi ? non, mes commentaires sont factuels et honnêtes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I meant the original one, not the responses to it.
Including Sinisterra in last seasons squad and omitting Wober & Aaronson from this seasons to make the situation appear much worse than it is, is just dishonest. And typical of someone with an agenda.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
oooooook but should've just responded to mr nice guys post he is getting caught out far to many times now peeps getting fed up with mr yawn
posted on 9/8/24
Positives
* Manager already in place and players already brought into his model. It worked last season so we look good value to do a similar amount of damage this season.
* Aaronson, Wober, Joseph are like new signings. All of signings made are steady ones.
* League doesn't have Leicester and Southampton in it. Still 4 sides battling for 2 spots imo, reasonably confident there won't be another Ipswich this time and its us and the 3 relegated sides going at it.
Cons
* Squad is slightly weaker, haven't replaced Cry, Kamara imo is better than Rothwell who v Valencia looked a bit journeyman like. Bogle more suited to RB than Gray but losing Gray as a player overall is a loss
* Gnonto and Wober might still leave and you wouldn't be suprised if either left on deadline day.
* No marquee signing yet, nobody signed that excites.
Still think we need a couple more in. A CM and wide left player. Still time for Port Vale to come in for Bamford so we can spend his wages on someone who can contribute for an entire season instead of snippets, could easily find another Toney, Watkins, Vardy kicking around in the league/s below.
posted on 9/8/24
For an unbiased take on the coming season, you can't beat Benjamin Bloom... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYNIquu7VPk
posted on 9/8/24
I am like the vast majority of us on here still a little wary of more departures so that obviously clouds my early pre season enthusiastic prediction of Leeds getting automatic promotion but if we sign Rowe and there's still talk we may hijack Shef utd for the young Palace winger Sakyi and if we acquire the Wolves defender Bueno and the Liverpool midfield youngster Clarke or players of a similar quality then if we do lose Wober and Gnonto for me our squad would be far more balanced
and equipped to finish Championship Champions and my tip to join us is Boro and Shef Utd.
posted on 9/8/24
comment by The Very Rev Wilko (U21072)
posted 12 hours, 5 minutes ago
.... Just seen some strange man dressed in a dark cape with a hood over his head. He's carrying a large Scythe and weirdly ''Puckering up'!
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You're going to have to give reading fairy stories, Rev
posted on 10/8/24
comment by AndDonRevieistheKing (U7852)
posted 1 day, 3 hours ago
Only player from the side that finished last season that hasnt been replaced is Summerville,
Pascal is back, Wober and Aaronson two internationals are back, Joseph who hardly played last season looks like hes ready to step up, need to bring a replacement in for Summerville and some cover at FB, 90pts should be minimum,
What i have seen in pre-season is that we look far more aggressive on the press and will be getting more out of the midfield.
its a poor league teams have no money we paid the price for pre-season last year and it was a freak season, i will be disappointed if we are not looking at going up come February.
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so last season you bet on 100 points this season 90 minimum, clear indication that you dont think we have potential to be quite some dominant this season.
The reality is we've lost quality and not replaced with same quality.
Let's hope we get off to a good start and that is still some more inbound quality to come and we dont lose any more players from here.