Feels a bit soon, right?
Confirmation that Daniel Farke will be the next incumbent of the Leeds United hot seat didn’t exactly fill me with joy, albeit I have had a while to prepare myself. I’m guessing most City supporters feel the same to differing degrees.
He’s still held in high regard in these parts and the thought of him lining up in an opponent’s dugout is not especially unpalatable. It also feels a little bit like a self-inflicted kick in the cajones.
For all the rights and wrongs of his sacking, the two appointees that followed him into the City dugout have done little to strengthen Stuart Webber’s argument – the one where he said he simply had no choice but to pull the trigger on that infamous afternoon in west London.
Let’s not re-write history though. While there was a vocal hardcore who were against Daniel’s departure from the get-go, many, if not most, were accepting of the fact that the man after whom Farkeball had been named had himself abandoned the project.
And, aside from that useful win they achieved on his last day, the Class of 2021-22 was, by Premier League standards, a complete shower of shite.
But that’s where, in the 19 months that have elapsed since his departure, the perception of Stuart Webber’s handling of his P45 has changed. So tragically hopeless was that subsequent relegation, looking back, no one could have kept that stricken group of players off the bottom of the Premier League.
Not Pep Guardiola, not Erik ten Haag, not the genius that is Eddie Howe, not even Roy Hodgson.
While Daniel’s stock was plummeting fast around the time of his sacking, by the time Dean Smith had done his thing with our squad it was already on the rise again.
You (sometimes) don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.
All of which is why when the paper talk of Farke speaking to both Leeds and Celtic started, the collective will was for him to grasp the opportunity in Glasgow, with its added attraction of almost guaranteed trophies and Champions League football.
No-brainer.
But Celtic refused to play ball, preferring instead the steady hand of Brendan Rodgers on their tiller, and denying themselves in the process the prospect of some of the most beautiful football ever to grace Elland Road.
Shame – ours and Daniel’s paths would only have crossed if we were to play the Bhoys in pre-season friendlies and/or testimonials, and I reckon we could have lived comfortably with that.
But no. It’s Leeds. In the Championship. Right in front of our bloody noses.
Thing is though, taking the emotion out of it and this ridiculous faux-rivalry that developed between the two clubs as we both bobbed around the Championship and, briefly, League One, the Leeds gig, with a few caveats, appears a decent fit for Daniel.
On the basis they eventually get their house in order off the pitch, he’ll be armed with a squad on it that is arguably stronger than either of those he used to steer City to Championship glory. And, let’s be honest, there’s no head coach out there better equipped to oversee the Premier League bounceback that Leeds’ new owners will inevitably demand.
Plus, unlike in his time at Norwich, he will likely be offered reasonable sums of money to spend in order to equip his new squad for a promotion challenge.
Whether or not Daniel will be joined by Stuart Webber remains an unknown.
When the news of our current sporting director speaking to Leeds first broke it was alongside the first mutterings of Farke to Leeds, so the logical chain of events appeared to be Webber making the move first followed swiftly by Farke as his first appointment.
That particular reunion is now looking less likely by the day although it did have a logical ring to it.
Webber, as we know, is a self-acknowledged fan of Leeds and it doesn’t need a fertile imagination to see the role there would be an attractive one for him.
Neither, of course, is it a secret that he’s on the search for a new challenge having tended his resignation to Delia and Michael somewhere between the start of the year and mid-March (not exactly sure when).
But, as things stand, Webber is supposedly juggling the need to strengthen City’s squad with a job search that will now be extending beyond Yorkshire and, specifically, beyond Elland Road.
Not so our, Daniel. Elland Road will soon be home. Which feels weird.
But… he’s ours no more. In a Wagner vs Farke contest, we’ll be Team Wagner.
The only prediction I’m prepared to make is that when we play Leeds at home and he emerges from the Carrow Road tunnel to turn left, he’ll do so with more class than a Scottish bloke with a ruddy complexion who did that same walk.
But that’s as far as it goes.
When that whistle goes, he’ll just be another opposition manager. And he’ll understand.
We’ll get over it, folks. Time to don those big-boy and big-girl pants
The only good thing about this appointment is that I, personally, can, at last, get over the fact that Daniel is not our Manager and that’s he’s not coming back.
I wish him every success at his new Club except, of course, when he comes up against us.
I do think it could be a harder job than it looks though. All is not well at Elland Road and if he doesn’t start well, those fans could turn nasty quite quickly.
But, ultimately, if he takes them to one of the automatic promotion spots, I’m ok with that. Just so long as we have the other one. 🙂
Hi Gary
The amount of media attention when he does make a return with Leeds will be out of this World and if by then Webber has made the same journey then it will really unworldly.
If Webber is as speculated he might even have got the ball rolling on Farke’s appointment.
The big question is will Wagner still being the Carrow Road hot seat for the first encounter especially if we have a poor start.
Yes must admit Gary I am gutted , considering the managers we’ve had since I’d have him back in a heartbeat . This will be his chance to really shine a bigger club hopefully bigger budget . I wish him all the best and hope his memories with us will stay close to his heart .
That’s about the most leaked appointment of this summer confirmed.
As you say Gary, we just have to suck it up. I hope he has a good season with 2 obvious 90 minute exceptions.
Taxi for Mr Webber.( Sorry Mr P just had to pop it in.).
Absolutely Bernard.
The sooner he goes the better. Only at Norwich would his antics be tolerated.
I agree, Jane. I got roasted for writing it last Friday, but only at a Mickey Mouse club would owners be so accommodating to someone who wants to quit!. And, while it may not have occured yet, I can’t believe at some point, if this situation persists, that he won’t go headlong into a conflict of interest.
Thus close season is akin to a spy novel. How on earth can an employee at Webber’s level be working for NCFC when he doesn’t want to be here. He can walk now. Right now. Delia and Michael have a lot to answer for. I’m trying not to breach posting rules here Gary, but we are a joke as a football club. We really are.
The bloke has just been sacked twice. He’s full of motivational spin, it’ll now be the “famous white shirt” and “white blood in his veins” once people see through that there’s nothing much left, he can’t handle players with character. He changed our playing formation without any justification and it ruined us.He now says we didn’t have any chance of staying in the top flight but at the start of the second visit to the Prem he said he would not take 17th place. I was a big fan of his at one time, we would have to fear Leeds anyway, perhaps it’s better for us because the job is not really suited to Farke.
Change of style = Webber. Instead of buying the players Farke identified he got in quantity over quality.
Our position now down to Webber and our inability to invest in quality players.
I doubt Daniel would ever say anything against our club, though he’d be justified in doing so.
There isn’t a manager or head coach in the game who isn’t sacked at some point. Our current HC has also had two recent sackings.
If Wagner or anyone else ever manages to give us both entertaining and winning football at least we might have a chance of promotion again but I won’t hold my breath. NCFC needs a complete rebuild.
Sad but life goes on. Only hope he doesn’t have to suffer that bloke who failed to supply the amo and threw him under the bus. From a Norwich perspective wete looking for a miracle. Wagner to turn into a page 3 stunner so we can forget all about our ex.
We played the best football I’ve seen at Carrow Road under Daniel Farke. I’m an OAP so that’s a lot of games. Our fans never got the opportunity to thank him so when he emerges to take his place at our home game I hope we give him a standing ovation. Then get on with the job of beating ‘dirty’ Leeds Utd. I’m gutted he’s gone to Leeds but will always wish him well.
Talking of Leeds, I’m more interested in Headingley at present and the 3rd Test, if you want tension we’ve 5 days of revenge to ‘enjoy’.
I guess I see things differently than a lot of others. I’m gutted Daniel Farke is not here. I’m angry that he was sacked so Webber had someone to blame for his poor recruitment and abandonment of the plan. I’m (as usual) resigned to the fact that while we have our present owners we will not be able to stay up in the Premiership. The gap gets wider and more insurmountable every season.
No one could have kept us up with that squad. Certainly not Dean Smith. I don’t blame DF for any of this – we know our circumstances and pecking order in the football hierarchy- but what happens? We sack our best chance of at least competing in the Championship for a long time.
I don’t feel optimistic about our chances this season. Or the next etc until the club addresses its real problem. We need a new owner who will invest so we can compete.
If Ipswich and Coventry can find them, why can’t we? Why didn’t we entertain the Coventry guy who is a Norwich fan? You couldn’t make it up.
So I hope Daniel does well because he deserves to. I hope for his sake Webber doesn’t get the job at Elland Road. As for Wagner, he seems an okay guy, much better than Smith, but I think he’s going to be judged on the first half of the season because we haven’t learned from previous mistakes.
After all, how can we have fallen so fast and so far from 18/19 so quickly? All of our assets on and off the pitch are gone. So we’re back to where we were when Webber came in.
Oh, surely even you don’t need to resort to ‘mickey mouse’ cliches. Most of us are quite happy with the underpants we wear. Good luck Daniel in whatever u do. For my money Leeds have best the most entertaining English team over last few years.
Sorry, Mike… yet again.