admin‘My Gut Feeling’ – Daniel Farke Makes Sunderland Admission
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has lavished praise on Sunderland for what he described as a “remarkable” Premier League campaign, admitting he always believed the Black Cats would adapt well to life in the top flight.
Sunderland returned to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs last season, while Leeds and Burnley secured automatic promotion.
Since then, the fortunes of the promoted trio have differed markedly. Burnley are currently struggling near the foot of the table, while Leeds have enjoyed a strong run of form in December and remain unbeaten this month.
Sunderland, however, have arguably been the standout performers. Their impressive displays even saw them climb as high as second in the table at one stage — a position that left at least one Black Cats player both surprised and delighted.
The Wearside outfit have maintained their momentum, with their mid-month Tyne–Wear derby victory over Newcastle United further boosting confidence. They also remain unbeaten at the Stadium of Light ahead of Leeds’ visit on Sunday.
Speaking ahead of that fixture, Farke insisted Sunderland’s success has not come as a shock to him, crediting head coach Régis Le Bris for the excellent work he has done since promotion.
The Leeds boss highlighted the fact that Sunderland have largely stuck to the same playing identity that served them well in the Championship.
“I’m not surprised, but it is definitely remarkable what they have achieved,” Farke said at his pre-match press conference. “We always talk about how difficult it is for promoted teams to give themselves a real chance of staying in this league, and their points tally is already very impressive.
“They were one of the strongest teams in the Championship last season. The regular season didn’t end perfectly, but they were excellent in the play-offs.
I expected them to do well because Régis is a very calm manager who has done a fantastic job, and their summer recruitment was very good.
“My feeling was that they wouldn’t need to change their style too much. Even in the Championship they were compact, dangerous in transition and quick in attack. That approach has translated well to the Premier League.
“As a promoted side, if you are solid defensively and effective on the counter-attack, you give yourself a chance. I expected them to have a strong season, even if you couldn’t predict quite how effective they’ve been — especially with the number of points they’ve picked up late in games.
“It’s impressive and definitely remarkable.”
Last season, Leeds held the upper hand against Sunderland in the Championship, recording one win and a draw during a campaign in which they were among the division’s standout sides.
This time around, though, Sunderland have thrived in the Premier League, particularly on home soil.
Indeed, a former Sunderland player recently suggested it would now take a “monumental collapse” for the Black Cats to be dragged into a relegation battle.
Leeds, meanwhile, are preparing to face Sunderland with several of the hosts’ key players away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
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