Leeds United may not be as reliable as Daniel Farke would like—they have recently lost points in games that should have been won—but keep the Norwich City fans in mind.
Nine wins, nine draws, and nine losses in 27 games. 39 goals given up, 43 goals scored.
The string for the enduring “yo-yo club” seems to have broken. Although some of the players on Johannes Hoff Thorup’s team would be able to start for most Championship teams—you could argue that Marcelino Nunes and Borja Sainz would even start for Leeds United—this season has been one step forward, two steps back for what is perhaps the most perplexing team in the second division of England.
In addition to scoring 18 goals in four games against teams like Plymouth Argyle, Luton Town, Hull City, and Watford, Thorup’s Norwich also suffered humiliating losses to Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, and Oxford United.
Derren Brown himself might thus have a difficult time picking which Norwich team will show up on Wednesday night when Leeds hosts the Canaries at Elland Road in the middle of the week.
Even though Teemu Pukki and Emi Buendia’s heyday seems like a lifetime ago, Daniel Farke, who twice led Norwich to the Premier League during his tenure at Elland Road, is not taking the challenge posed by his former employers lightly.
As Leeds United gets ready for their matchup with Norwich City, Daniel Farke praises Josh Sargent.
Not even the Norwich? During his press conference on Monday, Farke stated, “I’m pretty cautious, especially in a game with less pressure at Elland Road.” “I anticipate that they will be very driven. They are an excellent group that exhibits courage and intensity.
Farke believes Thorup has one of the best center-forwards in the Championship in Josh Sargent.
It’s interesting to note that throughout the summer, Leeds was linked to Norwich’s £20 million striker Josh Sargent. Sargent is a major factor in Borja Sainz’s rise as a Golden Boot front-runner, even though he was banned and missed that Leeds match. The American international may not have been able to replicate his performance from the previous season, scoring 16 goals in 26 starts in 2023–2024 but only four in 12 this season.
This season, Sargent has five assists. Sargent might still be a player high on the Yorkshire giants’ want list if injury-plagued veteran Patrick Bamford leaves soon. This is because Farke wants a center-forward who can pull Leeds’ assortment of brilliant playmakers and widemen into the game.
“[Norwich] want to press high and be offensive.” They will likely try to make a late push into the playoffs, in my opinion. Farke continues, “Josh Sargent is back and one of the best strikers in his league.” “Having him there will be advantageous for them.
“We must be present when the decisions are made. We must make the most of our opportunities and play excellent defence.
Farke adores Sargent’s “unbelievable” demeanour.
In the Sunday kickoff, Leeds defeated Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday 3-0, with Joel Piroe starting in the number nine position. Despite all of his positive traits, the Dutchman lacks Bamford’s capacity to bring out the best in his supporting cast.
Therefore, those Leeds connections were scarcely surprising given Farke’s fondness for Sargent, a fantastic presser who offers a phenomenal work ethic out of possession and real intelligence in the final third.
Farke praised Sargent’s “unbelievable” work ethic and his capacity to create room for the prolific Pukki during their time together at Carrow Road.
It’s interesting to note that Sargreant is not the only Farke favourite who has been linked to Leeds United.
According to reports, Leeds is interested in Borussia Monchengladbach’s Nico Elvedi, Nottingham Forest’s Andrew Omobamidele, and Plymouth Argyle’s Bali Mumba.
