14th again, but better
Back in May, we wondered what Daniel Farke's ambitious talk was all about. Now we know, and his new project begins in the same place: 14th, but better.
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Daniel Farke was exaggerating a bit when he said, in his pre-match, pre-season, pre-Forest press conference this week, that there are only black and white photos of the last managers who had "two solid Premier League seasons at this club".
We don't have to go back to the days of Box Brownie snapshots and fearing a camera might steal your soul for pictures of Howard Wilkinson (5th, 5th, 13th and a cup final), George Graham (11th and 5th, although it's true he only began the first season in September) and David O'Leary (4th, 3rd, 4th, 5th). There are even digital photos of O'Leary, and some of the pre-season games under Graham were tentatively streamed live on the internet (RealPlayer, I salute you).
But Farke's point stands that it's very nearly a quarter of a century since Leeds United finished in the top-flight's top five, and if those weren't quite the days of black and white, they were the days of Only Fools and Horses being watched by 16.3 million people, of Daniel Bedingfield's 'Gotta Get Thru This' hitting number one, of Sugababes and Doves, of Steps breaking up and H & Claire going solo.
Leeds United's goalkeeper was Nigel Martyn, who a couple of weeks ago was filmed in the goalmouth again at Elland Road, regaling new 'keeper James Trafford on the joys of living in the Yorkshire countryside and owning your own tractor. Oasis released 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' in May 2002. James Trafford wasn't born until that October.
And if Farke means top-half finishes straight after promotion then that does narrow the field while extending history beyond the Premier League. Howard Wilkinson is still there, 4th and 1st, in bright rose-badged technicolour United's away kit is borrowing from this season. Before that was Don Revie, 2nd on goal average then 2nd (then 4th, 4th, 1st, 2nd etc etc). Before Revie? Raich Carter didn't manage it. The only one who did was Dick Ray, taking Leeds up in 1931/32, finishing 8th then 9th in the First Division. Everyone was listening to Elsie Carlisle, back then, bossing the wireless with her 78rpm records.
Listening to Farke this week has illuminated his words from the end of last season, in particular the time he used the word 'ambitious' six times in one press conference before the last home game. He's still talking in his usual circles of humility, refusing to discuss his contract situation until the international break unless you really, really insist. But between the lines, in wide open spaces like the ones we're hoping Harry Wilson will exploit, it's possible to read Farke's intent to become one of the Peacock Ground's greats, like Revie or Wilko, Marcelo Bielsa or Dick Ray, and to be great in bright, 4K technicolor.
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