LEEDS OWNERS SHOW RUTHLESSNESS AMIDST DANIEL FARKE CRISIS
Pressure mounts on Leeds boss Daniel Farke as the club slips into the Premier League relegation zone. With just one win in seven games, the owners face a tough decision after showing a quick trigger with other clubs.
Leeds United's owners are feeling the heat to decide what to do with head coach Daniel Farke after the team slipped into the Premier League drop zone over the weekend. Leeds started the season okay, but one win in their last seven games has fans worried.
Their latest loss, a painful 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, was made worse since Leeds took the lead with a goal from Lukas Nmecha. Morgan Rogers scored twice for Villa, and some boos from the home crowd at Elland Road made it obvious that Farke needs to turn things around fast.
Some fans want the Leeds owners to fire Farke, hoping a new manager could quickly improve things. That doesn't seem likely right now, but the ownership has been quick to make changes lately, most recently at another of their clubs, Rangers.
The Scottish Premiership team sold their majority shares in May, with the San Francisco 49ers group joining the ownership. After some recent struggles, they already swapped managers, with Russell Martin out and Danny Rohl in.
Now, even more changes are happening. The owners just sacked chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell. Both joined the club within the last year, with Stewart arriving in December 2024 and Thelwell joining from Everton in the summer.
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh said, Now we've been a part of Rangers for six months, we have got to know Patrick and Kev a bit more. What we need in a CEO and sporting director today is different from who we thought Patrick and Kev were. We want people who agree with our vision for the future.
Cavenagh added, Patrick and Kev are both good at what they do and have done a lot for the club. I'm not going to say bad things about them. I think they're great people. It's just that the club needs something different now than it did six months ago.
We've already started looking for replacements and hope to hire people soon, but we want the right people more than we want to do it quickly. Changes like this are never easy, especially when they involve people we like. But we're excited to bring in some new leadership to this great club.
This shows the Leeds owners aren't afraid to make tough decisions, and they might have to make similar choices at Elland Road. The team's recent form has been bad, and they now face criticism and a real chance of being relegated again.
While Farke is feeling the pressure, he says he's not thinking about his future and is only focused on getting points. After the loss to Aston Villa, he said, No, I am really not concerned about it. If you can’t handle the pressure, don’t manage Leeds United.”
The pressure is definitely on Farke, as Nottingham Forest and West Ham have each won two of their last three games, moving ahead of Leeds.
DERBY OUTRAGE: PETER BANKES DOUBLES DOWN ON DISALLOWED KOLO MUANI GOAL DESPITE MASSIVE CRITICISM
Referee verdict: Discover why Peter Bankes disallowed Kolo Muani’s goal and Keith Hackett’s "stupid and soft" reaction.
Referee Peter Bankes stood by his call to disallow Randal Kolo Muani’s equaliser in the North London derby, calling it “a very, very clear offence.”
The moment sparked outrage. Gabriel, Arsenal’s defender, hit the deck after Muani’s challenge in the box. Former Premier League referees’ chief Keith Hackett didn’t hold back, calling the decision “stupid and soft".
Bankes didn’t hesitate. He blew for a foul, ruled out the goal, and VAR stayed out of it, even as Spurs fans fumed. That goal would’ve levelled it at 2-2.
Bankes explained on the Match Officials Mic’d Up show: “I was exactly where I needed to be for a cross from the right. I saw the Tottenham player put two hands into the back of the Arsenal player. That’s what grabbed my attention. When you see that live, it looks like a straightforward push – a clear foul.
“I held off on the whistle to let play run, then made the call after the ball went in. That way, VAR could step in if I’d missed something or if it looked off. But honestly, on the pitch, it looked obvious.
“I’m still comfortable with my decision. Sure, things can look different at different speeds; slow motion isn’t the same as seeing it live. But I got one look, and I was confident the two hands on the back had enough impact to be a foul.
“I know people will split on this, but I’m comfortable. That’s a free kick for me.”
The decision was a huge break for Arsenal, who ended up winning 4-1. As far as Spurs fans were concerned, Gabriel got away with one.
Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher backed Bankes up: “The on-field decision always stands. The ref saw enough for a push. VAR isn’t going to overturn that when the evidence is there.”
THE GIBBS-WHITE PROJECT: WHY MANCHESTER UNITED SEE THE FOREST STAR AS THEIR NEXT PLAYMAKER
United transfer hub. Get the report on wage bill cuts, the Forest playmaker, and City’s rival interest.
Manchester United still have a bit of a wait before the summer transfer window opens, but talk around Old Trafford is already heating up. People keep linking United with all kinds of new signings for when the season wraps up.
Michael Carrick has made quite the impression as United’s interim head coach so far. The club handed him the reins until the end of the season, and honestly, he’s done well with the opportunity.
Still, no one really knows who’ll be in charge next season. That uncertainty just adds fuel to the rumours about which players United will chase in the transfer market.
Right now, everything hinges on Champions League qualification. United sit fourth in the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Everton on Monday night. That spot could make all the difference for summer plans.
Morgan Gibbs-White's claim
Now, United have reportedly joined the hunt for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White. The Daily Mail says United are keeping an eye on the Forest playmaker, maybe even lining up a summer move.
But there’s a snag: United want to bring down their wage bill, and that could make signing Gibbs-White tricky.
Manchester City are also said to be interested, and Tottenham apparently tried to sign the 26-year-old with a £60 million offer, but that move fell apart.
Man United's Scott McTominay stance
As for Scott McTominay, it sounds like United aren’t planning a reunion. Despite recent talk about bringing the Napoli midfielder back, TEAMtalk reports United aren’t interested, and the idea hasn’t even come up in the recruitment department.
Napoli now values McTominay at close to £70 million, just a year and a half after he left United for around £25 million. He made the move to Italy in the summer of 2024 and, in his first season, helped Napoli win the Serie A title.
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