Daniel Farke insisted it was not the time for “upbeat messages” but said Leeds United were prepared for a second season in the Championship after defeat in the play-off final.
Leeds’ record of failing to win promotion via the play-offs extended to six attempts as a first-half goal from Adam Armstrong gave Southampton a 1-0 win at Wembley today.
United amassed 90 points over the regular season but missed a big opportunity to go up automatically to the Premier League and are now preparing for another campaign in the English Football League (EFL).
Farke, who signed a four-year contract with the club last summer, is expected to stay on as manager but Leeds will be forced into selling certain players in the transfer window, to balance the books and remain compliant with profitability and sustainability rules.
The German, who said Southampton had been “more effective” over 90 minutes, avoided discussing the 12 months ahead, saying: “To be honest, after you lose the final, it would be too early to be there with upbeat messages. Everyone suffers and is disappointed, with many tears on the pitch and in the dressing room.
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“In a few days, you look at the bigger picture. We’ll take this as extra motivation to come back stronger. It’ll be difficult to come back stronger because we were there with 90 points during the season – overall a great achievement. But to be there with the perfect outcome, to call yourself a Premier League side, this is something we want.”
Farke also declined to discuss his own position, saying: “I’ve spoken pretty openly about why I signed a long-term contract, about my ambitions for this club, but after this final it’s not the moment to speak about myself. My players don’t want a manager who speaks about himself (so soon) after we lost, and gives messages about his own future.”
Leeds have little over two months before the 2024-25 term begins and asked if they had put plans in place for another Championship campaign, Farke said: “It’s always a bit difficult when you don’t know exactly which league you are in.
“In the background we’ve prepared a lot but there will be a lot of work to do in the upcoming week. We’re prepared for different scenarios but before you press the button, you need to know which league you are in.
“We have clarity and we can go into details. I’m not sure if everything will be fully ready for pre-season but once the season starts, I think we will be there.”
