Daniel Farke Says Leeds Won’t Park The Bus Against Arsenal After Opening Victory

Leeds boss Daniel Farke said Leeds would not “sell our DNA in the Premier League this season and park the bus” as Premier League new-boys looked to upset title hopefuls after their opening victory.

Farke told the media that Leeds needed “as many periods as possible where you also control the ball and can recover with possession,” adding that it was “important to try to create chances, to scare them and try to play positive football.”

BBC

He framed Arsenal as a high-demand opponent, saying “They have the highest ambitions, the highest demands,” and described the fixture as “our toughest test so far.”

In the same remarks, Farke said Leeds would still have to be “well structured and compact” during stretches when “we suffer,” because defending for “96 minutes or whatever” would not be enough to survive.

After keeping Leeds in the Premier League and reaching their first FA Cup semi-final since 1987, Daniel Farke said he is “not the right choice” to stay if the club’s ownership does not match his ambition.

Farke told reporters that “I’m ambitious and this is quite important for me going forward,” and he said he loves “attractive football” while preferring to “play for something rather than to avoid something.”

BBC

He said Leeds had met the targets agreed when he arrived in 2023 on a four-year contract, and that it was time for the next “project” at Elland Road.

Farke also insisted there was “no doubt in my head” that he wants to remain, while warning that he would not be the manager if it was “about maintaining the status quo.”

With talks expected with the Leeds hierarchy in the coming weeks after the season is over, Daniel Farke said he wants ownership to match his ambition and keep the same control he was granted when they agreed his current four-year contract in 2023.

He told reporters, “I’m not the right choice if it’s about maintaining the status quo,” and said he has to be “convinced of a project” and is “at my best when I buy into a project.”

Farke said the club must discuss “what the new goals are, what the new ways are, can we keep our best players, can we improve the squad, can we bring players in who make us better?” as he positioned himself to lead the next steps at Elland Road.

The BBC reported Leeds sit in 14th in the Premier League table, eight points clear of the relegation zone, and said Farke’s negotiating position involves club owners 49ers Enterprises, whom he thanked alongside his players and the club’s fans.