Farke’s team is now less than three weeks away from beginning another attempt at promotion to the Premier League after last season’s devastating defeat to Southampton in the Championship play-off final.
Despite amassing an impressive 90 points, Leeds were unable to secure automatic promotion, with Ipswich Town taking the runner-up spot with 96 points, just one point behind champions Leicester City, who finished with 97 points.
Leicester City lived up to their status as title favorites, a position they held from the start of the season, by winning the division.
This year, Leeds are the clear favorites, with 7-2 odds in their favor, following the departures of Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton from the Championship.
This new sense of expectation comes from the bookmakers, but not from Farke. The Leeds manager insists that his team has been under pressure to win “more or less every game” since he took charge, and he is confident in handling the new expectations, boosted by a surprising resilience in his squad.
In an interview with the YEP, Farke discussed Leeds being seen as favorites and how his players have responded since returning from the play-off final defeat. To his delight, the response has been better than anticipated. He is also looking forward to the return of Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober, who are rejoining the squad after loan spells last season.
“To be honest, we are always seen as the favorites,” Farke said. “Even last season, we had the pressure to win each and every game, and we maintain that attitude. Last season’s outcome doesn’t change much.
“Overall, it was a long season with many challenges, and the final was heart-breaking. We needed some time to recharge and prepare for the new season. It’s not crucial to be fully recovered on the first day of pre-season.
“We have nearly six weeks in this pre-season to build on this attitude. I’m confident that when the real competition starts and we have our full squad, including new signings and returning loan players like Max Wober and Brenden Aaronson, we will be ready. This preparation is key.
“After such an exhausting season, it’s important not to peak too early, as we need to maintain form for all 46 games. But we are focused and preparing well. The players are in better shape and mood than I expected.
“We are on a good path, but we’re not at 100 percent yet. We definitely need these three weeks to reach perfection.”
