Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe’s presence at Elland Road for the Chelsea game felt ominous amid the uncertainty surrounding Daniel Farke. But at the end of the night, they exchanged congratulations and a hug, rather than anything more sinister.
Sky Sports news had been told the game could have been decisive for Farke’s future, while others went further and suggested possible replacements were lined up after six defeats in seven and not a single point in the last four had left them in the relegation zone.
There was no sign of it affecting Farke or his players, who produced their best performance of the season in a 3-1 win that lifted them out of the bottom three and put an end to talk of Chelsea as title contenders.
“Elland Road was back to its best and it felt like a magical night,” says Farke Sky Sports.
“This club has waited so long for such a massive result against a team as good as Chelsea and to do this in such an atmosphere under the floodlights was quite special and unique.”
Asked if there was time for a celebratory chat with the chairman, he added: “Yes of course, about the game, so we gave ourselves a hug and we’re happy with the result, happy with the performance. It was a great night for everyone connected with Leeds United.”
On a night when many believed Farke was fighting for his future, the Leeds boss appeared to have found the formula that could save his job with a change in formation to a 3-5-2.
Another big win at Elland Road this Saturday under the lights against a beleaguered Liverpool – live on Sky Sports – would go a long way in shutting down the speculation that has surrounded Farke since he won promotion to the Premier League.
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“I’m not fighting for my job,” he says. “I don’t waste any energy thinking about myself. If you want to manage a club as passionate as Leeds United, you have to focus all your energy on helping the lads, being a shield for the players and protecting them.
“I didn’t apply for this job; our board convinced me two and a half years ago to sign the contract. I’m not fighting for a job, I’m fighting for my boys. We’re so desperate to be the first side in the last 25 years to establish this club in the top flight.”
Farke has bought himself more time after seeing his tactical tweak pay off. The win over Chelsea was the first time in his 109 league games in charge of Leeds that he had not started with a back four.
The inspiration, of course, came from the spirited second-half fight-back in the defeat to Man City a few days earlier following the change in form. Over the last three halves of football, Leeds are 5-2 ahead of City and Chelsea, giving fans hope that this is the way forward.
However, Farke does not see it quite that simply. “It is of course the first time we have started with this base formation, if you want to call it that, but for me the base formation means nothing. It is about the principles and the execution.
“I never put a performance or a result down to base formation, otherwise it would be easy. You play 3-5-2 and you beat Man City or Chelsea. It’s not as simple as that.”
Farke says this could be his new base formation, and while principles are king for the Leeds boss, you can see why. The 3-5-2 formation plays to the strengths of his team and makes the most of this summer’s recruitment push with a focus on signing giants.
Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle are ready-made wing-backs and the form hides Leeds’ shortcomings in attacking wide areas, while Jaka Bijol looks far more comfortable in a back three protected by captain Ethan Amapdu in holding midfield.
Most importantly, this form lends itself to Leeds playing more directly into two forwards, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nemecha, no longer isolated on their own up front. They form the top of a strong spine that plays in the way Elland Road demands.
“Leeds showed me something else [against Chelsea]” said Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, who predicted Farke’s side would go down earlier in the season.
“They were a lot more physical. It’s definitely a blueprint for how they were going to perform week in, week out. They had the players on the pitch to do it. Chelsea played a team of men and looked like little boys.
“I think Leeds XI, if they can stay fit – there are a couple of big buts – with those two up top, I think they could [stay up].”
Perhaps it is this mindset that explains Farke’s eagerness to downplay the impact of the 3-5-2. Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha are his biggest injury doubts for Saturday’s game against Liverpool at Elland Road – live on Sky Sports.
It will be Leeds’ third game against one of the ‘Big Six’ in eight days. It may not be possible to replicate the energy and starting XI that blew Chelsea away. But Farke can now keep Liverpool’s under-pressure boss Arne Slot guessing about how he sets up his team.
The win over Chelsea was only the fifth time in 60 Premier League games as a manager that Farke had lined up with three or five at the back, but he says it was always part of the plan to be more flexible after winning promotion.
“When we won most of the games [last season]we didn’t change our basic formation much,” he says. “The top teams in Europe and the Premier League always play the same formation.
“But you have to bridge this gap of individual quality, you have to be more flexible. It was clear at the beginning of the season. For that we have trained a lot in a three-man formation. I knew we are prepared to switch between it in every game.”
Leeds fans will be hoping there is no change of formations for Liverpool’s trip to Elland Road.
Watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from kick-off 5.30 p.m.