Ao Tanaka scored the late goal to earn a point for Leeds United and Daniel Farke against Liverpool last weekend. However, the manager was not entirely convinced by his performance.
Tanaka was the hero for Liverpool last weekend when he popped up at the back post to turn in a corner, and scored the decisive third goal for Leeds in the 3-3 draw.
The Japanese midfielder also scored against Chelsea in the 3-1 win last week, and was instrumental in Leeds’ second-half comeback performance against Manchester City at the Etihad.
However, he still has a long way to convince Farke that he deserves a starting berth in the team. The Leeds manager was unhappy with his overall performance against Liverpool.
Daniel Farke was furious with Ao Tanaka for letting Liverpool score
Leeds worked hard to get back to 2-2 in the second half against the Reds at Elland Road. However, they allowed Liverpool to score the third quite easily.
A couple of passes in the midfield and Dominik Szoboszlai was through on goal before he gave the Reds the lead again at Elland Road.
Tanaka scored the late equaliser to earn Leeds the point. However, according to The Athletic’s Beren Cross, Farke was furious with the role he played in Liverpool’s third goal.
The Leeds manager was ‘apoplectic’ in the technical area for Leeds and Tanaka to allow Liverpool to regain their lead so easily with a couple of mistakes in the midfield.
He made it clear that he was not pleased with the decision the midfielder made in trying to press Liverpool and opening up the gap in the middle of the park.
He later told reporters: “Against the ball, before it was 5-3-2 and then later on, it’s 4-5-1, and we never stepped out of the centre, but with all these emotions, 82nd minute, 2-2, we stepped out of the centre, opened the passing gap, and Liverpool are a world-class side.
“Two passes, they find the player in between the lines, he could then play the final through pass. I was annoyed we lost the nerves in this moment.
“I can’t hide it. Ao stepped out and opened the gap, but it’s a bit how we are. We are perhaps not perfect and sometimes even a bit naive and need to adapt to this top level.”
Will Tanaka start against Brentford?
Two goals in two games mean Tanaka is a man in form. However, that doesn’t guarantee a start for him against Brentford on Sunday.
Leeds have a horrendous away record this season, losing six of their games on the road. On the other hand, Brentford are strong at home – only the top three teams have taken more home points than the London side this term.
| Form Type | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Form | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 1.50 |
| Away Form | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 18 | -12 | 0.43 |
| Overall | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 29 | -10 | 1.00 |
The Whites are keen to improve their record on the road, and that could mean more physicality in the middle of the park as Leeds look to be more secure.
It has been claimed that Farke prefers Tanaka’s progressive passing at home. However, he may prefer a more robust midfield three against Brentford away from home.
The Liverpool performance showed both the upsides and downsides of having Tanaka in midfield. He could pop up with big goals, but may make mistakes that could lead to more pressure on the defence.
