By way of his personal Twitter account, the Athletic journalist noted that Farke’s send-off is indicative of how well-liked and respected the manager was during his tenure at Carrow Road.
On this particular day, Norwich grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first half before an exciting second-half display by Leeds saw them reverse the outcome thanks to an own goal by Shane Duffy and two goals from Crysencio Summerville.
An excellent second-half
Whatever the boss said to his troops during the halftime break, it undoubtedly had an impact. Any Championship match in which you come back from a 2-0 down is a fantastic accomplishment, but doing so on the road against a team that is in excellent form is a true testament to the quality of this team.
For Leeds, Summerville in particular stood out, but it is the confidence Farke instills in his teams that has allowed the Whites to overcome a huge deficit and secure a crucial three points away from home.
Of course, Farke received two promotions when he was at Carrow Road, giving him the credentials that allowed him to become Leeds’ manager as they attempted to duplicate that success. It is evident that this earned him some favor in Norwich.
It’s victories like these that make you look back at the end of the season and think, “That’s how we did it,” so Leeds will be eager to carry on in their pursuit of promotion from here. It’s the kind of outcome that might give a boost and make the players feel more confident about achieving their goals.
In a related development:
He stated: “It was a difficult game because he had to defend against Hernandez,” as quoted by Phil Hay on Twitter (21 October). I believe he performed generally really well. He has played in games where he appeared more cheerful.
“Not the biggest spotlight performance, but sometimes you have to go through a difficult task.”
Out of the spotlight
three Leeds United supporters could have expected more from Gray on Saturday, especially considering that many believed he wouldn’t start after having such a hectic international break with the England under-19s over the previous three weeks.
Gray made the most tackles of any player with four, and he prevailed in nine of his twelve ground battle attempts against the vivacious Onel Hernandez, who has troubled many full-backs over his lengthy career in England.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea for Leeds or for Gray to step away from the limelight,” Farke said.
Gray has been the talk of the town for the past few weeks, and while he appears to be the kind of character who can handle that kind of attention, stepping away might not be such a bad idea.
Leeds and England have a lot of fixtures between now and the New Year, so it’s only natural that all players, including Gray himself, will have games where they’re quieter than usual.
It’s important to remember, though, that Gray is only 17 years old and he’s doing well in England’s second tier, and he’s been able to keep the likes of Luke Ayling, who plays for both the Championship and the Premier League, out of the team.
