Daniel Farke mentioned in his post-match press conference that he believed one of his Leeds United players was at risk of getting a red card during their match against Norwich City on Sunday.
Leeds traveled to Norwich for the first leg of their play-off semi-final with Farke’s strategy centered around defensive improvement and avoiding defeat before the second leg at Elland Road on Thursday. The plan paid off with a 0-0 draw and a clean sheet, pleasing both Farke and Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe, who was in attendance.
Farke made tactical adjustments by including Archie Gray in the lineup instead of Joel Piroe, not as a No. 10 but to bolster the midfield and enhance defensive stability without the ball. This tactic proved effective, with Gray impressing pundits like Jon Newsome with his energetic performance.
However, it was a frustrating outing for Willy Gnonto, with the winger possibly deserving a penalty early in the match after a foul by Borja Sainz. Despite calls for a penalty due to the contact and lack of ball touch, it was not given. Gnonto’s frustration led to a booking for sarcastically clapping referee Josh Smith towards the end of the first half.
Farke explained his decision to substitute Gnonto, fearing that the winger’s actions could result in a red card, highlighting his strategic thinking to avoid unnecessary disciplinary issues during crucial matches.
The last thing Leeds need right now is to pick up any suspensions. Already, Farke is without key players like Patrick Bamford, Connor Roberts and Pascal Struijk so to lose Gnonto would have been a huge blow.
As the Leeds manager says, it was the right decision to take Gnonto off with the former Zurich and Inter Milan star renowned for being a bit of a hothead and now he has Gnonto available on Thursday night.
“No problem [with Gnonto]. Some bruises and blood, but they need to be fresh on Thursday, our attackers. Willy was booked. Once incident you could sense Sainz fouled him, pretended to get a hit.
“You could sense a second yellow might come. Young 20-year-old we can provoke. Did not want to take this risk. He played quite well, but after 70, in these conditions, it was the right choice to take him off.”
Referee has sent already sent a Leeds player off this season
Referee Smith was in charge of a Leeds match for the fifth time this season, following their games against Cardiff, Plymouth (a 2-1 home win), Hull (a 3-1 win), and their away fixture at Preston.
During the match at Deepdale, Leeds suffered a setback when Illan Meslier was sent off by Smith for a slight push on Preston’s Milutin Osmanjic. While technically within the rules, some argued that a yellow card would have been a fairer decision.
This incident likely factored into Daniel Farke’s decision to substitute off Gnonto, possibly to avoid a similar red card under a referee who seems inclined to issue reds for minor infractions like a push, showcasing Farke’s wise judgment in managing the situation.
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