O’Rourke: ‘Alarm bells are ringing’ at Leeds, this is when Daniel Farke could be sacked
Daniel Farke is facing constantly-growing scrutiny over his position at Leeds United after what has been a difficult season so far.
Leeds lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest last time out, but have taken 11 points from their 11 games, form the club’s hierarchy believe will be enough to keep them up.
However, they have now lost four of their last five league games, and Leeds fans are calling for Farke’s dismissal, leading to speculation about his position.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Leeds are hopeful Farke can turn around their recent form, but if they are stranded in the relegation zone at Christmas time, they may be forced to make a significant decision.
Upcoming fixtures against Aston Villa, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool before the end of December have created a worrying situation at Elland Road regarding the boss’ future.
Daniel Farke could be sacked before Christmas
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown warned Football Insider on 12 November that Leeds could sack Farke if they are cut adrift in the bottom three.
With a tough run of fixtures coming up, there are concerns that they could soon fall into the drop zone, piling further pressure on the manager’s position.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “Four defeats in the last five games has set the alarm bells ringing at Elland Road.
“You’ve seen the likes of Wolves of change manager, West Ham change manager and Nottingham Forest change manager as they found themselves at the wrong end of table.
“That’s why you get the ongoing speculation that maybe Leeds could be next to look for a change in manager as well.
“It does seem that the Leeds hierarchy are looking to keep faith with Daniel Farke and they will give him a run of games to turn around Leeds’ fortunes.
“They’ve got tough fixtures coming up, with Villa, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next games with a worrying time from now up until Christmas.
“I think if they find themselves in that bottom three around Christmas time and there’s no sign of improvement, then maybe their hands might be forced and they might be looking to make a change in the managerial department.
“But for now, it does seem that they are sticking by Daniel Farke.”
After Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Wolves all opted to change their managers, there is now growing pressure on Leeds to follow suit.
Leeds United eye Marco Rose as potential Farke replacement
Brown told Football Insider on 13 November that Leeds are considering Marco Rose as an option to come in should they decide to part ways with Farke.
Rose has strong links with Leeds part-owners Red Bull, having previously managed Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig, and those links could be used to bring him to Elland Road.
The club’s hierarchy are believed to be eyeing potential replacements for Farke despite no current plans to part ways with the German boss.
However, there are question marks about whether Rose would be the leading candidate for the role despite being on their list of potential options to replace Farke.
Farke could have been sacked by Leeds in the summer amid concerns about his record in the top flight, and a manager with prior success in England would be their priority.
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