At the start of the season, no one could have predicted that Leeds United would be in the FA Cup semi-final. But after what happened on Sunday, the fans now really have something to cheer about.
Daniel Farke’s preference of the league competitions has been very clear since he took over at Elland Road. And that approach has yielded dividends; in his first season he reached the playoff final, and in his second season he sealed promotion. Many did not expect anything when the Leeds boss was in the domestic competitions with the club in the Premier League. When the whites were knocked out of the EFL cup by Sheffield Wednesday early on in the season, it did not really come as a surprise to fans.
The FA Cup journey has been a great ride for Leeds United fans; the victory over Derby County meant a lot to them, they also crossed the line against Birmingham City after a penalty shootout. Leeds also won a tie against Daniel Farke’s former club Norwich to get to West Ham.
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards deliver honest West Ham vs Leeds United verdict
Facing the Hammers was the biggest tie in the competition so far. And 75 minutes into the game, Leeds had a 2-0 lead. But they somehow let it slip. The game went to extra time and eventually penalties, where Lucas Perri’s heroics saw the Whites through to the next round. Micah Richards and Gary Lineker were discussing the events happening in the quarterfinal on the Rest is Football podcast.
“It looked like Leeds had blown it. I thought West Ham played really well in the second half and had a lot of chances, hit the post a couple of times, a couple of disallowed goals. It was a thrilling finale, but Leeds managed to dig themselves out of that hole by winning the penalty shootout.” Lineker said.
Richards added: “I thought Leeds were the better team in normal time, then West Ham were the better team in extra-time… Traore was really good for West Ham, Tanaka scored a goal, who I mentioned at the start of the season… It was a really great game, and you were just thinking, can Leeds get over the line? All in all, it could have gone either way.”
READ MORE: Joe Cole gives prediction for Leeds United against Chelsea in FA Cup semi-final
FA Cup semi final raises more questions for Leeds
The semi final will be a huge test for Daniel Farke; because of the fixture, he might have to decide whether to go for it or rest his best players towards the end of the season. With relegation being a serious threat to the club at this point of the season, it will be very interesting to see what Farke decides to do. Does he trust the players who have featured in the cup run to continue doing the job, or does he pick a full strength side and hope to win the cup tie. It could be a defining moment in the season.
Why not lead with ‘Leeds were better….’ ?