Daniel Farke’s biggest Leeds United failure now obvious as trophy winner’s £18m price tag emerges..
Daniel Farke has not been every Leeds United fan’s cup of tea since The 49ers hired the German boss in the summer of 2023. But ultimately, he has got the job done at Elland Road.
The first club to fail to win promotion with 90 points from the Championship this century, Farke then won the most points in a single league season in Leeds’ history with a whopping 100, to win the league title.
There has been criticism surrounding the timing of his substitutions, loyalty to those in his starting XI like Illan Meslier and Brenden Aaronson, and even his slightly boring tactics that saw Leeds control games.
But Farke was brought in to win promotion and he has done that, securing his third Championship title. Not only that, but his work in the transfer window and his calmness in the public domain earns praise.
But, one massive error that Farke has made during his time as Leeds manager is now coming to light – and fans are well aware, after watching developments in Slovakia from afar as an £18m price tag emerges.
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Charlie Cresswell in action for England’s U21s in Euros final.
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
England U21’s win Euros with Charlie Cresswell front and centre
He might not have won Player of the Tournament with Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott scooping the award, but Cresswell was right up there when it comes to Lee Carsley’s best players, shining in the middle of defence.
The 22-year-old played every second of all six matches as England went on to retain the U21 Euros trophy with an extra-time 3-2 win over Germany. Leeds target Jonathan Rowe scored the all-important winner.
A year on from leaving Leeds to join Toulouse, Cresswell’s stock has risen exponentially. Starring in France with the Ligue 1 side, Cresswell was easily the best defender at the tournament. Farke’s error is obvious.
The Sun’s Alan Nixon now says several Premier League clubs want to land the Thorp Arch academy star, with Toulouse slapping an £18m price tag on his head. A player that Farke fell out with publicly at Leeds.
Charlie Cresswell in action for England’s U21 side.
Photo by Tullio Puglia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Why did Daniel Farke refuse to pick Charlie Cresswell?
Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk started during 2023-24 and the two are well-suited and well-balanced. Liam Cooper came in but when Cooper and Struijk were injured, Farke used Ethan Ampadu and not Cresswell.
Farke’s decision not to turn to Cresswell – who only played seven times during 2023-24 for Leeds – left Cresswell angry and it even saw Farke question the defender’s attitude publicly. His exit was inevitable.
Perhaps, Cresswell needed a different club and a change of scenery to reach the level he is at right now. But if Farke has made an error during his time at Elland Road, it is without doubt not using Cresswell.
Had he used Cresswell, he would have tapped into the giant defender’s aerial prowess, threat in both boxes. Basically, Leeds would have had themselves a similar player to Jaka Bijol, without spending £15m.
But instead, Farke let him go for £3.8m and now, if Premier League clubs want to lure Cresswell back to England, they will have to pay almost five times what Leeds received. A glaring error during Farke’s reign.
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