Leeds United appointed Daniel Farke last summer and The German manager has taken The Whites close to automatic promotion, but he was never the club’s first choice.
While there is disappointment that Leeds have not been able to hold on to second place after last Friday’s loss to QPR and Ipswich now three points ahead in second, Leeds have still enjoyed a superb campaign.
Much better than many might have predicted after the mess Farke inherited at the start of the season. Boasting 90 points with a game to go, that tally would have secured first or second many times before.
Fulham were promoted on 90 points in 2021-22 and Leeds won the Championship under Marcelo Bielsa on 93 points in 2020-21. The Whites still have a glimmer of a chance to finish in second this weekend.
But realistically, it is the play-offs for Farke’s Leeds. Unlike Brendan Rodgers, who is close to another Scottish Premiership title at Celtic having rejoined the Glasgow side last summer after links with Leeds.
The Guardian said last summer that former Liverpool manager Rodgers was Leeds’ first choice but he was unwilling to step into the Championship. Scott Parker, Steven Gerrard and Carlos Corberan considered.
Brendan Rodgers closing in on Scottish title after Leeds links
Last summer, 51-year-old Rodgers was out of work after Leicester’s sacking. The Northern Irishman’s reputation intact though, after starring at Liverpool, Celtic and Swansea City throughout his career.
His spell at Leicester too was excellent, winning an FA Cup and getting Leicester into Europe. He went back to Celtic last summer after turning Leeds down because of the club’s relegation to the second tier.
Rodgers left Celtic under a cloud of controversy, not seeing through the treble treble but he has returned and is close to guiding Celtic to the League title as they sit three ahead of Rangers with four left to play.
How Gerrard, Corberan and Parker doing since Leeds links
Corberan could end up facing Leeds in the play-offs in an intriguing twist of fate that saw Corberan on the coaching staff when Leeds were last in a play-off situation, under Marcelo Bielsa against Derby.
Leeds are set to finish in third and West Brom are currently sixth, meaning the two sides will do battle if the table stays the way it is this weekend. A solid season from Corberan’s West Brom at The Hawthorns.
Gerrard has moved to the Middle East with Al-Ettifaq. With seven games to go, Gerrard’s side sit in sixth of an 18-club league in Saudi Arabia, boasting Moussa Dembele, Demarai Gray and Gini Wijnaldum.
Parker is out of work since his dismal spell at Club Brugge. He has failed to find himself a new job since that 12-game spell and as we all know, the longer you are out of the game, the harder it is to get back in.
