“There is only one way that Farke will still be at Leeds come September 2025 and that is if they are playing Premier League football”- Graham Smyth says Daniel Farke future at Leeds no longer 100% guaranteed as it used to be as club owners will not tolerate failure to secure Premier League return again this season

Daniel Farke’s future at Leeds United no longer feels “as certain as it once did” after recent developments, says Graham Smyth.

The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist wrote for the paper’s website on 15 September that pressure was “always” going to be on the German this season after failure to secure promotion last term, and it is now “unknown” how his bond with the 49ers will hold up if the pressure cranks up.

The Whites were beaten 1-0 at home by Burnley on 14 September to leave them five points off the Championship pace down in ninth with Farke continual indications of dissatisfaction with the summer transfer window.

CEO Angus Kinnear admitted to “tension” during the summer [The Square Ball, 12 September], chalking it up to nothing more than what happens at every club and insisting that Farke is the right man for Leeds right now.

But Smyth said: “And what about the right manager for where Leeds United are in a year’s time? The question naturally asked itself as Kinnear’s statement hung in the air.

“There is of course only one way that Farke will still be at Leeds come September 2025 and that is if they are playing Premier League football.

“Even then, it does not feel as certain as it once did, because of the way the window played out, because of what he said, what Kinnear said and what fans were left saying after the 1-0 defeat by Burnley.”

No relationships continue unaffected when major pressure is applied even if they do ultimately survive, so it is little surprise that the situation at Elland Road doesn’t look as rosy after a year. Missing out on an immediate return to the Premier League wasn’t part of the plan and forced the Whites to confront financial issues that they could have avoided otherwise.

Farke’s comments about the club not signing a number 10 to replace Georginio Rutter were the first public signs that the mask may be slipping slightly [Smyth, 2 September].

The 49ers might argue that manager and his players should have made sure they secured promotion if they didn’t want such issues to arise, while the German can justifiably shoot back with questions about why the club weren’t more prepared for star exits.

Arguably neither side has fully done there job, since Leeds were scrambling late in the window to replace the likes of Rutter and Crysencio Summerville when they would have been aware of the release clauses in their contracts.

Yet Farke came up short with those stars in his side last term, and didn’t seem to have any answers as the Whites strained to break down Burnley at the weekend.

A first league loss of the campaign doesn’t need to be a disaster but it seems like there is are fault lines at Elland Road that could become an issue if the team doesn’t keep pace at the top of the table early.