- 9 hours ago
Farke delighted after Leeds beat ten-man Man Utd at Old Trafford
13/04/2026
Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
13/04/2026
Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:03Yes, I'm of course very proud. I think our first ever win on Premier League level here as a club
00:11at Old Trafford.
00:12I think first win here since more or less four decades in the league.
00:17It feels of course outstanding, especially under the circumstances.
00:20The crunch time period of the season, a bit under pressure.
00:22Playing the last fixture of the game day, we also didn't have the easiest week.
00:27Key players out, Anton Stach, Joe Rohan, Daniel James, also several other key players.
00:33Difficult week in terms of training, Gabi Gudmundsen, Jakab Joll, Noah Okafor.
00:38Just two days of team training, I was a bit reluctant to put them all into the starting line-up
00:42today.
00:43But because so many were already missing, I took the risk.
00:46And thank God I did this, because they have delivered in an excellent way.
00:51I think the key was today to be brave and to play on the front foot.
00:54Because if you just try to park the bus and just try to survive somehow and suffer here,
00:59there's no chance to travel away with points at Old Trafford.
01:03We wanted to dominate as many periods as possible.
01:06Also in procession and I think we were brave in our pressing.
01:09First half was excellent when I think about the chance of Dominic, of Pascal, of Ao.
01:15We could have been easily three or four now.
01:17Up didn't allow, apart from one strike, I think anything for Manu.
01:23Excellent first half, also started really well into the second half.
01:28But of course, also like we are not the finish end product.
01:32We are a newly promoted side.
01:34We are not immaculate.
01:35Sometimes we are there, here and there was a mistake.
01:37And on the other side, there's a top class, top class side.
01:41We're sitting in position three.
01:42We have won all the home games under Michael Carrick.
01:46We're focused on this game.
01:49They could bring quality players from the bench.
01:52Of course, it could be sometimes tricky, especially if you concede such a bit unnecessary set-piece goal
01:57out of second phase where we could have been a bit more switched on the far post.
02:02We missed too many of our chances on the second half.
02:05We could have buried the game before and then it's always like you have to dig in
02:09to the last moment in order to win this game.
02:11But I think there's no doubt that we deserve today to win this game.
02:14And, yeah, to have this excellent night for everyone who is connected with me tonight.
02:20And, of course, a massive step forward in terms of points also to achieve our goals, yes.
02:25Creating chances have been a little bit difficult for the last few Premier League games before this one.
02:29It felt like you might just be created well, even though you missed them.
02:33Is that encouraging out of the running?
02:35Yes, but it was a bit a sign of our season, this game today.
02:41But even today I think we could have been more effective, especially also in the opponent's box.
02:47When I think about the last games, yeah, sometimes we didn't score, but we have missed so many top chances.
02:53Also against sides like Man City, we've missed penalties.
02:57Obviously we also had to play sometimes a game more than 45 minutes on the load.
03:02It's also not so easy to create as a promoted side.
03:06But overall I think key is the consistency that the players are showing in terms of performances over, I would
03:13say, the whole season.
03:14We had one or two games where we had no chance.
03:16It was against Arsenal when they were in their prime more or less.
03:19Apart from this, we make out of every game a tight game.
03:22We are not perfect.
03:23We are not immaculate.
03:24We are not the finished product.
03:25We miss too many chances.
03:27We concede sometimes goals where we shouldn't concede.
03:31But if we were perfect in this terms, we would fight for the Champions League.
03:34I think performance-wise we are on a top level and also on a good pass in terms of points
03:39right now.
03:40Barry?
03:40I think you suggested that you could sit in your 5-4-1 shape and deny them space and ask
03:44them to break you down.
03:45And as you say, you came out and played on the front foot and were very positive.
03:48Was there confidence in the team then and among the staff in the days before the game for giving you
03:53the ability to play like that?
03:55I told them we travel here in order to win.
03:59If the outcome is the end, the point, everyone knows it's a valuable point and a priceless point.
04:04In our situation.
04:06But I told them, listen, the key will be to be brave, to play on the front foot.
04:10We had a clear plan what we wanted to do.
04:11The lads executed it in a perfect way from the check-their point of view.
04:15But more important was they had this plan also in their hearts and souls and believed in it.
04:20And were confident and brave.
04:22And I think this was the key today.
04:24Because if you just come here and try to work on how to be solid and how to make the
04:29life difficult in terms of creating a chance for Man United,
04:32then you have no chance, you have to play on the front foot.
04:35And this is also always in our DNA, of course.
04:37As a promoted side, it's not that easy to show this in each of your Premier League pictures.
04:42But today we've shown also what we're capable of.
04:44And yeah, I think in the end the world is a win.
04:47Everybody put a shift in, everybody played that part in the next win.
04:50But in the first half, especially Noah and Gabi, seem to be a real key outlet for you in exploiting
04:54Man United down that side.
04:57Yes, perhaps we have to save them even a bit more during the weeks and just let them play.
05:02But it just works if you do this perhaps for one week.
05:05So overall they have a really good fitness level, especially also Gabi has played many games.
05:09And also to concern about him, my concerns were a bit more about Noah.
05:14But yeah, they were excellent.
05:16So Noah has a bit this X factor, what you don't find that often in a promoted side.
05:21He brings us to our game.
05:23But what I like especially about him, also like his attitude, his workload against the ball is improving,
05:28is way better than the beginning of the season.
05:30His fitness level is way better.
05:31And then if you do so, if you show this mentality, you work for the team, then you can also
05:37shine on the individual personal level.
05:39And of course you have the instinct to be in the right positions today, to be there with top finishing
05:43situations is crucial.
05:45Gabi has a great ability to go forward anyway, but also today good defending was needed against top players, different
05:52type of players.
05:57So he had to put a shift in and I'm happy that he was able to deliver each and every
06:02second.
06:03Now as of Daniel, since you've got the knack of creating history, obviously record points tally last year,
06:08first FA Cup semi-final in 39 years now, first winner of Old Traff in 45 years in the league.
06:14We saw your reaction at full time.
06:15How much does it mean to you to give these mechanisms to them?
06:19And we still create, we work a little bit on to get rid of this old narrative.
06:24And you know, leads are falling apart again, that we always crumble when it really counts.
06:28It feels like when it really matters, we deliver under pressure.
06:31Last season, not just this season, but also last season.
06:34And in the crunch time period, in the key periods, nothing is achieved yet.
06:39So for that, I'm far away of not staying humble, not staying grounded, being overconfident and celebrate ourselves already.
06:46So I'm proud of this win and we take confidence out of this.
06:50But we don't forget where we're coming from.
06:53And because on Premier League level, the momentum can change pretty, pretty quickly.
06:57And we have to stay on it.
06:58And for that, I don't want to celebrate too much that we have created something really historical.
07:04I know we have achieved several records also last season, record goal difference, record points, record goals.
07:12And you know, it's all what matters.
07:14We're on a really good path also like to establish us right now on Premier League level again.
07:20But we want to keep going and we can celebrate us in the summer break if we keep going like
07:24this.
07:25But right now, not before because I'm pretty aware also like that even the end of the season, momentum can
07:31change.
07:31And we have to keep going.
07:33And I know that on Saturday, we're probably one of our most difficult games during the whole season
07:37because the expectations are high in the home game right now to win.
07:41I predict it will be a very, very difficult game.
07:43And for that, my focus is already like to make sure that we also deliver points in the next game.
07:49One of the key moments was obviously the red card.
07:51Have you seen it back? Do you think it was the right decision?
07:54I have not seen it back during the game.
07:56The feeling was there was a foul on Dominic, but I haven't seen it back.
07:59I just guess that if the VAR says, listen, you have to break the game and you have to watch
08:03a scene,
08:03it's a clear red card and then the referee goes out and watches it back and has time to watch
08:08it
08:08and gives the red card and I'm pretty sure it was the right decision.
08:13If I'm honest, I was not really happy about the red card because we were so far on the better
08:16side
08:17and we were so much in control.
08:19And I know it sounds sometimes a bit strange, but such a situation can change the momentum of the game.
08:24We didn't have any problems being 2-0 up and this is what sometimes happens.
08:29And the team in Underload wakes the stadium up, fires also the opponent up and then a bit out of
08:34coincidence
08:35they score in Underload the first goal and then you're getting a bit nervous.
08:38That's exactly what happened.
08:40I didn't have a bad feeling during the game that we would be under huge pressure,
08:44but I wouldn't say it was like a key moment in our favour.
08:48It could have been nearly a key moment in the other side because before we were so much in control.
08:56But I can't really tell you if it was a red card or not for that. I need to watch
09:00a scene back before.
09:01It's true.
09:02Daniel, if you'd been told at the start of the season you'd go into your crunch time with 36 points,
09:07what do you think your reaction would have been?
09:09I would have said pretty good because in the last season 36 points would have been always enough to stay
09:15in this league
09:16and I know that all the promoted sites in the last seasons were straight away relegated back up.
09:20And we haven't spent that much money like other sites have done in the last years.
09:25It would have been pretty light, but I wouldn't have signed it.
09:28I never signed just for whatever, 32 game days, 36 points.
09:33I play each other game to win it.
09:36And for that I don't just want a perfect outcome.
09:39I also want to enjoy the ride a little bit and I want to win football games.
09:42I would have preferred to have even more points.
09:44I think performance-wise we should be on way more points anyhow,
09:47if we would have shown a bit more effectiveness in both boxes.
09:51But of course, to be there, FA Cup semi-final and as a promoted site on a good path,
09:58also to save our status, you can't complain too much about it,
10:03but we want to make sure that we can really celebrate in the end
10:05and enjoy the summer break fully.
10:08And we will just do this if we achieve our goals completely.
10:11Apologies if you've already been asked this, but what will this do for your confidence
10:15that the manner of the win, the fact you've won away from home?
10:18There's no replacement for wins and each every good performance,
10:22each every win is good for the mood, good for the dressing room,
10:26good for the table, great for the confidence of course,
10:30but we also have to make sure that we don't lose the ground anyhow.
10:34So the key today was our workload, our input.
10:39If you give 1% less then as a promoted site,
10:42we don't have a chance to win points in this league.
10:45We don't have the players like some other teams, also like our opponent today,
10:48who can cut easily in one against one situation the opponent into pieces.
10:54We have to be there always with the perfect game plan,
10:58with good tactical behaviour, we have to put a shift in,
11:00we have to run more, fight more, work more than the opponent.
11:03Our game plan has to be more on it, the execution has to be more precise,
11:07then we have a chance.
11:08If we start to be big time or think we are better than we are,
11:13then we have no chance.
11:13And for that, good for the confidence, yes,
11:16but I will also make sure that we are not overconfident.
11:20Michael Carrick has just been in here and he has absolutely seen him at Red Card.
11:25I am sure there have been instances where you have been not happy about this industry as well.
11:29As an opposition manager, do you kind of think,
11:32well, even if it did go for us, we have had things that go against us anyway,
11:36so I am not getting involved in that.
11:38Is that how it is for a manager?
11:40Do you just have to kind of accept that some days it doesn't go for you and some days it
11:46does?
11:48Yes, of course.
11:49I also try, I always like to show in each of the moments also some class
11:54and not to be too on it, but we are all human beings, we are all no robots
11:58and of course emotions are sometimes high and when you say something
12:01what you perhaps in a calm mood two days later you wouldn't say that much.
12:06There were also incidents when I was, I would say several incidents when I was really unhappy with decisions
12:13and sometimes you also have to get it from the chest and speak about it.
12:18Michael has done an amazing job so far, I think he has won each of your home game so far
12:23and I think he knows also like there were 100% also one or two reasons anyhow
12:29but they can improve in order to win the game of football
12:34but I also think that he has also realised that he faced today a really really strong opponent
12:39who has delivered a really good performance and again I think the red card
12:43as far as Evernot watches him back perhaps he has watched it back and he is right, I can't really
12:47tell you
12:48but I wouldn't say it was a key moment in our favour, it could have been nearly a key moment
12:53against us
12:54because the run of the game changed after this a little bit.
12:59Daniel, you talked a lot about speaking to your players about being on the front foot in a game like
13:03this
13:04how have they embraced that challenge?
13:07because the position you found yourself before this game
13:09you could understand maybe they were a bit nervous or maybe they were staying in this league
13:14but how have they responded to that challenge?
13:17Obviously really good if you have a look at the performance and also the result anyhow
13:20so I've got great characters and the good thing is it's not just to speak about it
13:25it's more like we play on the front foot at Man United and we take it to them
13:29and then you win a game of football
13:30you have to prepare it from the technical point of view
13:33you have to be good in the details, explain the plan, work on it during the training sessions
13:38and you know we didn't allow ourselves one day off in the last days
13:42it was complicated to prepare for it
13:44but then also like you need to not just to somehow try to execute
13:51you need the players to believe in it
13:53and to believe what you say
13:54and somehow they have listened and also believed in what I've said
13:57and by doing this they were able to deliver such a performance
14:02I know you will be very much focused on yourselves but you would have seen the other teams' performance as
14:06a result over the weekend
14:07they would have undoubtedly watched your team's performance tonight
14:11what impact do you think that could have in the coming weeks when seeing the performance like that?
14:18Yeah I can't speak about other teams, I just can't speak about us
14:21and our focus is really just on us
14:22so we are not at all distracted by other performances
14:26otherwise we would have been nervous today playing more or less the last game of the game day
14:31and I don't expect other teams right now more or less like to raise the right flag
14:36not at all, so for that I can't speak about other teams
14:41for us it doesn't matter who performs in which way on a different level
14:45we just know we are concentrated, we are the ones who influence our outcome
14:50and if we keep going in this way in the upcoming six games
14:54we have the chance also to win the points that we need in order to stay in this league
14:58and this is all that matters for us
15:00anyone else?
15:02thank you very much
15:03thank you
15:04have a good night, thank you very much
Comments