Leeds United manager Daniel Farke is aware that his team need to get their form going soon or risk missing out on automatic promotion to the Premier League. The Whites boss wants his players to get some momentum back in their game, and he has challenged one Leeds star to show that he is more than just flicks and tricks.
Farke and the Leeds United players are under serious pressure ahead of taking on Middlesbrough in a big Championship game at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday night.
Leeds have won just one of their last six league games, and are now sitting outside the promotion spots after looking like the dominant force in the Championship for months.
The Leeds boss needs his players to step up in the remaining six games of the season and he wants to see especially more from a player who has flattered to deceive this season.
“Show me you are more reliable” – Leeds United manager challenges player
Leeds forked out a fee worth £10m to sign Largie Ramazani last summer, but he has yet to prove that he was worth the money they paid for him.
He has largely been used from the bench this season, and he has rarely played well enough to push for a place in the starting eleven.
Farke feels an ankle injury in October last year disrupted his rhythm, but indicated that he would have still liked to see more from him this season.
The Leeds boss stressed that he has the talent to make the fans sit on the edge of their seats, but insisted that he needs to be more reliable and work harder to show that he can be more than just flicks and tricks.
“We all love Largie Ramazani and we all want to bring him in because he has a touch of magic. No one is to blame for the injury, but it stopped his momentum”, the Leeds manager said in a press conference.
He is a confidence player and goes for risky situations. It is not easy when he comes in. He knows that he can be a spark in games, but it is also important that he is reliable in the crunch. In general, when you bring a player in 70-75 minutes, you should invest more in running distances, that’s not Largie, but in general. To be strong and also reliable and not go for the most risky solutions.
“We know he has the capacity to take the supporters from the seat with a no-look pass or a nutmeg. He has to learn and develop in this game, and then he can make a big, big impact.”
Farke is right about demanding more from Ramazani
£10m is not a small fee by any means for a club in the Championship, and he would have been expected to game-changing player at that price.
However, Ramazani has made just seven Championship appearances in the starting eleven, and it is hard to suggest that he deserved more chances.
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Manor Solomon has been struggling over the last couple of weeks, but it appears, Farke has not even considered playing Ramazani instead of the Israeli winger.
The Belgian needs to do much more when he is coming on against more tired defenders in the last 15 to 20 minutes. He could be running out of time to prove himself at Elland Road.
