Leeds fans divided - but Farke defiant as pressure mounts

If Daniel Farke is heading towards the exit door as Leeds manager, he is determined to go down swinging and on his own terms.

Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Elland Road against Aston Villa meant the Whites have lost their last three Premier League games, and five of their previous six.

Farke led Leeds to promotion from the Championship last season, but his future was the subject of much speculation over the summer before he kept his job.

And the German divides the loyalty of fans who savoured their second-tier title success with a 100-point tally, but fear they may not survive instant relegation as they sit third bottom in the table.

Farke's name was cheered before kick-off at Elland Road and, although there were boos at full-time, he was was also applauded by some fans. Yet, during the game, a man carrying a Leeds scarf was escorted from the technical area having entered from the stands to berate the manager.

Much of the frustration from supporters revolves around Farke's team selections and tactical changes.

He dropped summer signing Jaka Bijol to the bench against Villa, preferring Pascal Struijk at centre-back over the Slovenian international. But it was Struijk who gave away the free-kick from which Morgan Rogers scored his side's 75th-minute winner after being a goal down.

But the most divisive topic is starting American Brenden Aaronson continually on the right wing. Having returned from injury, Willy Gnonto and Dan James had to settle for bench spots, but offered attacking threat when they came on, and are more suited to that position than Aaronson.

Leeds' struggles in front of goal - they are the second-lowest scorers in the league, only ahead of rock-bottom Wolves, with 11 goals in 12 games - have amplified the ire of the club's faithful.

Farke passionately defended Aaronson in his post-match media conference and railed against online critics as he called for greater respect.

"Brenden is a player who polarises and can annoy even myself, he can be a bit hectic," said the Leeds boss. "But he has so many skills, gives everything to his team, is not perfect but leaves everything on the pitch.

"We are so secure on right side, Aaronson is protecting [right-back Jayden] Bogle. And in offense, he has put in top performances. If any other player had this offensive record, he would not get this much stick.

"If the fans were not so much on his back, we would not need all these mental health days. The players in the dressing room also aware of this [criticism], and they don't like it. These young lads are human beings, not products, and we have to judge him in a fair way."

'I can't make subs just because someone is singing'

Leeds are left in the relegation zone after defeat to Aston Villa

With Rogers having levelled an early Lukas Nmecha strike within three minutes of the second-half restart, Leeds fans demanded early changes as Villa's control grew, but Farke waited until the 71st minute to offer attacking alternatives.

"It is totally OK for fans to chant for subs, everyone has views on changes and game management," added Farke. "But I will not do a round table or poll before each match.

"I can't be driven by emotions, I can't make subs on 55, 60 minutes just because someone is singing."

In the first half he sent on Ao Tanaka for the concussed Anton Stach, and the Japanese midfielder brought much-needed bite and energy.

However, with Tanaka on a yellow card, Farke chose to sub the sub and revealed he had been warned by the fourth official the Japan international would get a second booking after his next foul.

While Farke seems to be willing to live and die by his tactical decisions, the stats are not kind to him.

His side had not lost 53 league games under him when scoring the opening goal. But when that run was ended by Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago, Villa made it back-to-back defeats in that fashion.

This was also just the fourth time Leeds have lost a home Premier League game in which they were winning at half-time.

And, including Nmecha's opener, they have now scored four times in the opening 15 minutes - more than any other side this season.

Yet they only have three wins and behind fourth-bottom West Ham on goal difference. They lose control in games where they have the advantage, and responsibility lies with the boss.

Farke is a realist, saying Leeds want six more wins from their remaining 26 league games. Combined with a few draws, he feels this will be enough to avoid relegation.

And he welcomes the pressure, pointing out fans criticised him after games last term as his side were locked in a three-way promotion fight with Burnley and Sheffield United.

But this could be a very unhappy Christmas for Farke unless results improve, with the next three games at Man City, and home to Chelsea and Liverpool.

Leeds have won none of their last 18 against sides in the top half since a 2-1 win at Liverpool in October 2022.

If their struggles continue, Farke's position will no doubt come under more scrutiny.

Brenden Aaronson has featured in all of Leeds' Premier League matches so far this season

'If they play like that every week, they will be OK'

The display against Villa, though, showed Leeds are far from a lost cause and clearly more capable of competing in the Premier League than other newly promoted sides in recent seasons.

They were positive against the visitors in the first half, and for spells in the second. Twice they were denied another goal by superb Emi Martinez saves, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin had an effort disallowed for handball.

Villa's equaliser followed a superb flowing move, while the defensive mistakes for the winner were individual errors rather than systemic.

"Leeds played well and showed great energy, in the first half particularly, but they needed that second goal and they were up against a tactical genius in Unai Emery," said Match of the Day pundit and former Manchester City keeper Joe Hart.

"It was a proper ding-dong Premier League match settled by a brilliant free-kick from Morgan Rogers. Leeds could easily have got a result, but they were undone by a bit of magic."

Former England midfielder Danny Murphy believes it is clear the Leeds players are still behind Farke - even if the fans are split.

"Farke is under pressure because of Leeds' run of bad results, but that was a bunch of players, a team, playing for their manager, and they were unlucky to lose the game. They didn't deserve to lose it," he told BBC Sport.

"There was a great tactical plan in the first half to condense the space and stop Villa playing through the lines to get the ball to John McGinn and Emi Buendia coming in off those wide areas, and they won the ball back time and time again.

"The Villa equaliser early in the second half took the wind out of their sails, but I thought Leeds recovered really well and even when they went 2-1 down they threw the kitchen sink at Villa. If it wasn't for Martinez, they would have got something out of the game.

"That performance did not warrant that reaction from the Leeds fans, it was probably an accumulation of weeks of poor performances. But if they were turning up to see a reaction, and to see if the team was willing to fight and give everything for the manager and the fans, they did.

"If they play like that every week, I think they will be OK."

And across the previous 10 seasons, 37 clubs parted ways with a manager while in the bottom three. Only 13 stayed up - a 35% success rate.

So Farke will aim to get Leeds playing like that every week - with the players he, and no-one else, picks.

Leeds took the lead after eight minutes against Villa through Lukas Nmecha