Excuses will be thin on the ground for Daniel Farke if Leeds United do not hit the heights of last season during next term. The manager was able to point to the decisions of previous administrations as he plotted a path through the pitfalls of his first campaign.
His stock is high going into his second chapter at the club. While no manager is without their critics, missing out on promotion in a one-off game at Wembley after amassing 90 points is hardly a stick to beat Farke with. There were fine margins throughout his first year in a freak campaign that generated four clubs worthy of winning the league in most other seasons.
At the other end of the spectrum, Farke nurtured Archie Gray through his first season as a senior footballer. Yes, the teenager is arguably a generational talent who could play for any manager and look good, but if a coach can be criticised when things go badly, they must take a share of the praise when things go well.
There seemed to be a stubbornness in the German’s selections at times too. In the first half of the season, Farke was wedded to Joel Piroe playing behind Georginio Rutter through the middle. Despite the fact the former was a better finisher and the latter was a better creator, he kept them in roles which didn’t seem to suit them or the team for months.
“We are always seen as a favourite,” he said. “Even last season, we had the pressure, more or less, to win each and every game. We also have this attitude: we want to win each and every game.