Title: A Club in Turmoil — Does Leeds United Need to Sack the Manager Now?
For a club with the pride and pedigree of Leeds United, the current situation feels like a betrayal of everything the club stands for. Under the great former boss Don Revie, Leeds rose from second-division struggles to become one of England’s most fearsome teams — with steel, identity and consistency. His legacy is immense. (Football Fan Cast) And yet, right now it feels like that very memory is being undermined by the club’s under-whelming performances and lack of direction.
Let’s start by taking stock of what Leeds do. They are a club with ambition — to compete at the highest level, to challenge, to stay in the elite of English football. After their recent relegation, the appointment of Daniel Farke in July 2023 was meant to mark a new era. (Leeds United News) Farke came with a respectable record in the Championship and a promise of restoring the club’s competitive edge. In his first season he delivered a play-off final and in his second he secured automatic promotion. (LUFCDATA.COM) On paper that looks like the club’s objectives achieved — but the real question is whether the dogged under-performance, the halting tactics and the uneasy sense of stagnation are telling a story of deeper problems. Are we simply punching below our weight, or is the manager the weak link?
The argument for sacking exists because managing a club like Leeds is not just about gaining promotion — it’s about staying up, competing, growing the club’s stature. Even though Farke got the club back into the Premier League, critics point to his prior record at that level (for example his tenure at Norwich City) and suggest that Leeds may need someone who not only wins but can sustain top-flight survival. (Talksport) So yes — there is a case to be made that if the manager cannot translate Championship success into Premier League stability then the club must act.
But before we rush for the axe, we must consider the flip side: loyalty, momentum and respect for achievement. Farke did what he was brought in to do. He brought Leeds back. The chairman has publicly backed him. (theguardian.com) Sacking him now would not only risk unsettling the squad, but also send a message of short-term panic. How would that reflect on the club’s identity? How would that sit with the memory of Revie, who embodied patience, planning and long-term vision? The current mood among many Leeds supporters (and indeed within the fanbase on Reddit) is that we should give Farke the chance to prove himself at this level rather than discard him at the first sign of turbulence. (Reddit)
So, should the club sack the manager this week? My verdict: no — not yet. While the showing may be “embarrassing” by the standards of the club’s heritage, to dismiss the manager at this moment would be rash. The wider context of a promotion, the backing of the board, the need for continuity — these all argue for giving him a proper chance in the Premier League. Instead of the sacking button, what Leeds needs is a clear plan: strengthen the squad, clarify style, instil belief and accountability. If the performances remain flat and the team begins to slide towards relegation, then yes — a change of manager might be inevitable. But doing it now would risk discarding momentum for the wrong reasons.
In short: Leeds do what they ought to — aim high, fight to stay among the best. They currently have a manager who achieved the key target of promotion. But they also have a gap between the club’s ambition and the on-pitch reality. The insult to Don Revie’s memory is not necessarily in one bad defeat or one series of poor results — it’s in an absence of urgency and direction. If the board believe the manager cannot deliver that direction, then change is justified. But this week? Let’s hold off, evaluate, regroup — and if the performance doesn’t match the promise, then act decisively rather than prematurely.
