Daniel Farke, against the odds, has done a fine job at Leeds United this season, turning his team into an effective, physical Premier League outfit who look firmly on course for survival.
There is a lot to like about the current Leeds iteration, although it’s a far cry from those golden days of Marcelo Bielsa, with the Argentine’s first top-flight season in charge seeing the newly-promoted side finish ninth in 2020/21.
The approach ultimately proved unsustainable, but the football was swashbuckling and breathtaking at its best, with the Bielsa chaos best seen in the Yorkshire outfit scoring 62 goals that season, yet still shipping 54.
The Elland Road side had successfully built on two impressive Championship campaigns under the enigmatic coach, with both seasons spearheaded by the playmaking brilliance of Pablo Hernandez.
From the dark days of the late 2000s and 2010s, Hernandez was the guiding light – what a genius he was…
Why Hernandez would’ve been perfect for Farke’s Leeds team
January came and went with Facundo Buonanotte arriving as the only senior incoming at Elland Road, with it yet to be seen if the youngster can be the new creative spark in Farke’s midfield ranks.
That mantle is currently being held by Brenden Aaronson, with the American leading the way alongside Anton Stach with three assists in the league this season.
Aaronson, oft-maligned in recent times, has come to life in 2025/26, but he’s certainly no Hernandez, with Leeds still looking devoid of that type of player who can win a game on his own, or unlock a defence with a moment of magic.
Georginio Rutter was that figure for a brief time, but a longer-term replacement for Bielsa’s main man has yet to be found, with Hernandez at his best racking up 12 goals and 12 assists in 2018/19, before adding a further 18 goal involvements a year later.
Even pre-Bielsa, the now-retired talent had sparkled for the then-promotion hopefuls, initially signing on loan under former Swansea City teammate Garry Monk in the summer of 2016, before completing a permanent move six months later.
With 77 goals and assists in 175 games for the club all in, the 40-year-old seemingly stands above the rest as Leeds’ finest figure of the modern era, and arguably the club’s best free transfer deal of all time.
That latter status is, however, being run close this season under Farke’s watch…
Leeds star could be heading toward Pablo Hernández territory
With deals like the club-record capture of Rutter, there is an expectancy and an assumption that the player will deliver, with the price tag an indication of what the club are getting.
In the case of players like Hernandez, signed from Qatari side Al-Arabi, there is far less risk, but perhaps far more room to surprise, with the one-time Valenciaman rising from something of a left-field signing to become a true cult figure at Elland Road.
In many ways, new man Dominic Calvert-Lewin appears to be heading for a similar journey, having himself been somewhat out in the cold in recent times, following a difficult final few years at Everton.
The 28-year-old had scored just 18 goals in all competitions since the start of 2021/22, prior to joining Leeds over the summer, with Farke and co gambling on the player who had once flourished under Carlo Ancelotti’s watch at Goodison Park.
Following an initial slow start in his new surroundings, the England international truly sparked into life in the second-half display against Manchester City, netting just his second goal for the club following the shift to a 3-5-2.
A six-game scoring spree followed, while his most recent strike against Newcastle United ensures he now has nine goals in the Premier League this season, a tally bettered by only four players.
Journalist Andonis Storr has notably pointed to his “world-class” heading ability, while highlighting just how “lethal” he is from close range, having provided Farke with a true penalty box poacher.
|
Leeds – Recent Top Scorers (PL) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Player |
Goals |
|
25/26 |
Calvert-Lewin |
9* |
|
22/23 |
Rodrigo |
13 |
|
21/22 |
Raphinha |
11 |
|
20/21 |
Bamford |
17 |
|
03/04 |
Viduka |
11 |
|
02/03 |
Viduka |
20 |
|
01/02 |
Fowler |
12 |
|
00/01 |
Viduka |
17 |
|
99/00 |
Bridges |
19 |
|
98/99 |
Hasselbaink |
18 |
|
97/98 |
Hasselbaink |
16 |
It took time for him to get going, but Leeds’ patience has paid off, with the same also true of Hernandez, a player described as a “slowburner” at first, before transforming into “one of the best signings Leeds have made in modern times”, as per journalist Adam Pope.
Calvert-Lewin, hopefully, will be on a similar trajectory, with Storr even claiming in December that he could be the club’s “best free transfer” in their history.
That tag, for now, remains with Hernandez, but Leeds’ newest attacking talisman is certainly heading in the right direction.
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