Speculation, rumours and gossip, but what do we really know about the upcoming contenders? And who do Leeds fans need to take us back to the Premiership?
Daniel Farke started his career with his hometown club SV Steinhausen and spent the majority of his playing career at SV Lippstadt 8. Farke later returned as manager to take them from 6th tier football up to 4th, over the course of his six year reign. After a couple of seasons at Borussia Dortmund II, he was appointed manager of Norwich City for four years, earning him Championship Manager of the month in November 2018 after achieving promotion. Unfortunately Norwich were relegated the season after, but Farke rose to the challenge and secured promotion again in 2021, achieving a club record of 97 points and establishing himself as Championship Manager of the Season.
As Leeds fans, he certainly has the credentials and stamina to physically pick a team up from the Championship and determine promotion, not once but twice. He’s a manager who has gotten the best out of players following the relegation blues and propel them straight back up. Leeds fans would enjoy his propensity for high intense attacking play and quick counterattacks, not too dissimilar to the old Bielsa regime. But for that to happen, he will first need to pick his starting team of the season, that matches his style of play.
Graham Potter has played for several teams in his younger days including Birmingham City, Southampton and York City. Potter made over 100 appearances for York City before leaving Yorkshire for Shrewsbury Town. But Potter’s love for Yorkshire did not end there, Potter has close links to the city of Leeds, and joined the former Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett) as Assistant Coach, whilst completing further education his MsC Leadership: Personal and Professional Development. In 2008 he was appointed manager of the Northern Counties East League Division One side Leeds Carnegie, leading the to third place in 2009-2010. Subsequently he has managed for Swansea, Brighton and Chelsea.
Marcelo Bielsa commented when Leeds were to play Swansea that “He’s English, he’s a modern coach. He has new ideas, he brings new ideas”.
If Bielsa liked Potter’s style of play and applauded his adaptability, then Leeds United fans should think about Potter as a serious frontrunner. His Master’s degree touched upon emotional intelligence within sport is certainly something the Leeds United players could benefit from after their gruelling season. Whilst his style of play is different to Farke’s, Potter preferring to play short passes from the back and run through the defence as opposed to crosses into the box, he would need to handpick his potential new team with these skills in mind.
Either way, I think Leeds United fans can be excited for the new hiring, if indeed it comes down to these two contenders. They are both established, confident, experienced managers, and whoever is in the final Leeds United team come the start of the season, will be in safe hands. Personally, I think we should root for Potter, it seems he’s already an adopted Yorkshire lad! But then we have to throw Scott Parker, Carlos Corberán and Brendon Rodgers into the ring, and that is a whole other debate.
