‘I’d Rather Have This Type Of Player’ – Daniel Farke Makes Leeds United Star Admission
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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke is of the view that Whites star Ao Tanaka is an emotional player and added that he would rather have a player like the Japanese midfielder than someone who is scared to make a mistake.
The 27-year-old midfielder joined Leeds from Fortuna Dusseldorf in the summer of 2024 and last season Farke pointed out that he played a crucial role in the Whites’ midfield.
This summer, Leeds brought in Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff, both of whom Farke feels lucky to have in his team due to their set-piece prowess, and with their arrival Tanaka has seen game time getting limited.
Longstaff recently suffered a calf injury and in his absence Tanaka has started the last three games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.
During the weekend’s game against Liverpool, Tanaka’s error led to Liverpool’s third goal, but it was from the 27-year-old’s strike in injury time that Leeds managed to secure a 3-3 draw.
Farke stressed that Tanaka is not the finished product, which was visible during the error he made in the match against Liverpool and added that he will need to find a good balance in his game.
However, the Leeds boss is of the view that the midfielder is a brave and emotional player who leaves his heart out every time he steps on the pitch but added that he would rather have a player like Tanaka than someone who shies away from making mistakes.
When asked about Tanaka’s development, Farke said at a press conference: “Performance-wise, really good.
“There is still space for improvement and the last game, for example.
“Ao is a very emotional player and it is a strength that he can find another gear in possession of the ball because he is driven so much by his emotion.
“He always leaves his heart out on the pitch and sometimes if you play like this, you can be over motivated, before the third goal, he stepped out really early.
“But I would rather have this type of player instead of a player who is scared of making mistakes and just trying to hide himself.
“He is a brave player.
“He wants to get on the ball and wants to press and this is what I love to work with.
“He is not the finished end product; he has to find a good balance sometimes also to find the right trigger or when to press or when to play the most risky pass.”
In the absence of Longstaff, Farke will have to rely on Tanaka to continue to perform for Leeds.
Leeds are set to take on Brentford away from home at the weekend and Farke’s men will be in search of their second away win of the season.
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