Daniel Farke is still waiting to taste success at Elland Road as manager of Leeds United
Daniel Farke knows Leeds United are on the right path but he admits he could do with securing his first win on home soil this weekend. The Whites welcome Watford to Elland Road on Saturday afternoon and they’ll be looking to build on their strong recent form which has seen them secure four points over the last week.
Such a haul has taken them to within touching distance of the play-off picture at this early stage of the campaign, and a win at Elland Road against the Hornets could even see Leeds enter the top six, should results elsewhere go their way. However, Farke is more than aware that winning in West Yorkshire is a feat they are yet to achieve this season.
In each of their three home fixtures, United have played out hard fought and frustrating draws, with points coming against Cardiff City, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday. Farke would dearly love to buck that trend by seeing off Watford, who sit just one point behind Leeds in the standings, in front of a home crowd.
“I felt it from the first home game if I’m honest,” Farke said when asked if he felt heightened expectations coming into the clash with Watford. “So everyone wants us to win the games and the first home game.
“Each and every game there is pressure and then the biggest question from ourselves being because we want to be successful and want to add many, many points. We’re on a good path at the moment, we have a good shape, we show good performances
“Also, eight points out of the last four games is really good regarding that there were three unbelievably difficult away games included. So pretty happy at the moment but I could do with a home win, definitely.”
Farke added: “I’m quite sure Elland Road will be a fortress during the whole season and we’ll win also many, many games at home. But we haven’t done so far you could argue ‘oh we are struggling at home’. I don’t think so, we have also not lost at home.
“Also performance-wise, we were quite dominant. Watford is traditionally always a really good counter attacking side, they have always really good offensive players, talented players, players with pace, with quality on the wings and one-against-one duels.
“I think normally it suits them also to play on the road because they like to play also a bit out of a deeper position and to be there with good counter attacks but they’re also quite aggressive in their pressing.”
If Farke is to get the win this weekend, he would be getting one over a manager he considers a close friend. The Leeds man trained and completed his coaching badges alongside Valerien Ismael as a young coach and the pair got to know each other extremely well in that time.
As such, the German knows all about what to expect from Ismael’s side this weekend and while he will have his eyes on three points, he will be pleased to have the opportunity to catch up.
“He has no dark secret,” Farke smiled when asked about the Watford chief. “So he’s a great, great guy. I like him really, really much.
We spent more or less our education in Germany, it’s quite a long time, 12 months, together and you have to be there more or less on a daily basis it’s quite intense. Was a good time and yes, we’ve played also in the Championship a few times against each other, he was at Barnsley, for example, I can remember and also a good path as a coach, good guy, very experienced player.
“I think we had also one clash, there should be some pictures, he obviously was a top class defender, played for Bayern Munich, won many, many titles but I think I played once against him in a friendly, I was the striker and he was a centre-back.
“Was horrible to play against because he was so hard and tough working, so I was a bit scared. I’m not sure if he remembers us. So we talked about this one time, I think, but a great guy and also really, really good coach and I’m always happy when I see him.”