The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Thursday 11th September) Leaked dossier hints at Farke departure
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Good Morning. It's Thursday 11th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Leaked dossier hints at Farke departure
A recently leaked 50-slide pitch deck has offered a fascinating glimpse into the new era at Leeds United under 49ers Enterprises. A copy of the dossier found its way to 'New York Times' journalist Matt Slater, who wasted no time in dissecting it, and reporting back to the Elland Road faithful in bitesize chunks! For anyone that hasn't seen it, I posted it in yesterday's Breakfast Debate.
I think we all agree that the 49ers have laid deep foundations, and offer Leeds Utd stability, marketability and significant investment. While the headline-grabbing ambition is to elevate the club's value to a staggering £1 billion by 2030, a more revealing—and perhaps ominous—detail was buried within the slides. The dossier noted that the average Premier League manager’s tenure is a mere 18 months, confirming that “contingencies are in place for periodic new hires.”
Seeing that Daniel Farke has already surpassed this time limit by eight months (albeit mostly in the Championship), could this the 49ers way of telling their investors that Farke is on borrowed time? It was widely speculated that he was to be replaced immediately after promotion, only for corporate opposition to block his forced exit.
The language could also be interpreted as a convenient corporate excuse should the club be caught courting a potential successor in the future. Seeing that the 49ers didn't fully back him in the summer transfer window, the pressure is immense. Time will tell if Farke can keep Leeds out of the bottom three, but he now knows he is not just fighting for points, but against a pre-written corporate timeline.
James place under threat
Dan James' place in the Leeds United starting lineup is under increasing scrutiny following a disappointing opening to the 2025/26 Premier League season. Despite being renowned for his electrifying pace, the 27-year-old Welsh international has failed to make an impact during the first three league fixtures. Over his 204 minutes of action, James has struggled to influence games, a fact reflected in a meager 'WhoScored' rating of just 6.07, which ranks him a lowly 15th among his Elland Road teammates.
This underwhelming form stands in stark contrast to the official tracking data that confirms his status as one of the division's most blisteringly quick players. James has been clocked at a remarkable top speed of 36.14 km/h, placing him third in the entire Premier League's speed charts for the campaign, behind only Wolves' Jackson Tchatchoua and Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo.
While his raw pace remains an undeniable and fearsome weapon, players such as Gnonto and Okafor are pushing for opportunities. James must rapidly evolve from a mere speedster into a more consistent and effective attacking threat if he is to fend off the competition and secure his position in the side.