Leeds United boss Daniel Farke reveals 'difficult training week' ahead of Sunderland draw
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke admitted his team struggled to put their football together in tough windy conditions, but was pleased the players showed another side to their game in a goalless draw at Sunderland.
A clean sheet at least allowed the Whites to earn another point to move them back up to seventh place in the Premier League.
Despite being without two of their first choice defenders in Nico Elvedi and Joe Rodon it was a solid defensive show from United, with Jaka Bijol proving an able deputy and goalkeeper James Trafford pressing his international claims.
But it felt like a missed opportunity to push on against the bottom side in the division and only in added time at the end and a short spell early in the second half did Leeds ever really look capable of taking all three points.
In truth the blustery conditions won out in the end in a game that few people will commit to memory.
Nevertheless manager Farke saw some positives from the performance of his team.
He said: “The conditions were a big part and I think it's fair to say it was not the nicest piece of football.
"On a day like this, you can accept this. Of course, on a warm, sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon after a good training week, anyone can play proper football. But these games belong also to the Premier League and you have to adapt and accept the conditions.
“You have to adapt the fight, there is lots of fights for second ball and long balls and you have to show lots of skill and we did this today.
"A clean sheet is always a good outcome for us. I need to give praise to my lads for a different game. We have created a very honest team and I like how we looked defensively.
"It is never easy for a team but we handled this occasion really well. On a good day we can be better."
Farke revealed it had been a testing week in training with several players not able to take part.
He added: “We had a difficult training week with many key players not available. Came here to a difficult ground. Not many teams have won here last season. They've qualified for Europe and are desperate today to win three points.
“Joe Rodon is out anyway, Nico Elvedi misses the game due to illness overnight and had to travel back. Then weather conditions where you could hardly predict the curve of the ball.
"It was one of these days where you have to accept that you can't shine that much football wise. It's more or less to dig in and grind out a result and fight for second balls and show steel. This is what we did.
"I think it's also fair to say that you could see that we had a difficult training week offensive-wise because several offensive players were just back on the training pitch yesterday in our final session. We could hardly work on our processes.
“Some were not available for the starting line-up. Some had not more energy to play more than 30 minutes or something like this.
“I think possession-wise, we can play better football and create more chances to score more goals. But overall, I think the draw is also fair outcome of this game and for us definitely a good point."
Leeds looked to impose their game on their hosts initially and won possession high up the pitch several times early on without being able to do much with the positions they created.
The only effort on goal they managed in the first 45 minutes was an early Jayden Bogle shot from the edge of the box that he pulled wide.
From a similar position at the other end Brian Brobbey forced James Trafford into a save with a shot that bounced awkwardly.
The Leeds keeper denied Brobbey again when the Sunderland forward nipped in on a weak attempted back pass only to see his effort well blocked by the onrushing Trafford.
There was precious little other excitement in a half that saw both teams playing too many long balls and struggling to bring the ball down effectively.
Frustrations were growing at some inconsistent refereeing and it was a relief when the teams went back to the dressing rooms at the interval.
The second half was better without being brilliant as both sides enjoyed spells of dominance.
First it was Leeds making the running as Bogle’s cross led to the opposite wing-back, Gabriel Gudmundsson, firing over.
Tarik Muharemovic managed United's first effort on target with a header from a Harry Wilson corner that was comfortably saved.
Sunderland then fired back with Nilson Angulo’s shot from outside the box needing to be well saved by Trafford.
Bijol made a big block to deny Chris Rigg and there was more good defending from the visitors as they were pushed back for a spell.
When Farke turned to his bench it gave Leeds a boost with Noah Okafor looking sharp after coming on and Anton Stach providing some dangerous corners.
Home keeper Robin Roefs kept out a shot from Ao Tanaka, but could only parry the ball and Dominic Calvert-Lewin looked to pounce on the rebound, getting to the ball first only to be sent sprawling by a challenge from Luke O'Nien. Big appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears and it was not clear how much contact there had been on the striker.
Much clearer was the corner United should have been given shortly after when O'Nien cleared the ball in a challenge with Stach only to somehow win his team a goal-kick.
It was Leeds looking the more likely to win late on as they created their best openings of the game in added time.
Another sub Sean Longstaff twice went mighty close to snatching a winner. First with a run at the home defence and a shot that looked to be destined for the bottom corner of the net only for Roefs to make a fine save. Then with a shot from eight yards out that was unluckily blocked by teammate Lukas Nmecha.
Okafor also saw a volley hit a defender and go agonisingly wide, but Sunderland survived to earn a point.
Sunderland 0
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Premier League
Attendance: 46,182
Sunderland: Roefs 7; Hume 6, Mukiele 7 (Alderete 52, 7), O'Nien 6, Reinildo 7; Xhaka 7, Sadiki 7; Rigg 5, Le Fee 5 (Diarra 79, 6), Angulo 8 (Talbi 79, 6); Brobbey 7 (Tutierov 79, 6).
Leeds: Trafford 8; Justin 7, Bijol 7, Muharemovic 7; Bogle 7, Ampadu 6, Tanaka 7 (Longstaff 89, 7), Gudmundsson 6; Wilson 5 (Stach 65, 6), Aaronson 5 (Okafor 65, 7); Calvert-Lewin 6 (Nmecha 85, 6).
Referee: Stuart Attwell 5