1. Executive Overview: Core Theses & Key Revelations
In an era dominated by hyper-specialized tactical dogmatists and corporate media trained figures, Daniel Farke stands out as a compelling paradox in modern football management: a romantic realist. Returning to the broadcast airwaves on Men in Blazers following Leeds United’s successful Premier League survival campaign—capped by a 14th-place finish and a decisive 3-1 victory over Burnley at Elland Road on May 1, 2026—Farke delivered a masterclass in managerial philosophy, squad construction, and emotional resilience under high-pressure elite conditions.
The conversation provides an exhaustive look into the operational blueprint that saved Leeds United from the volatility of top-flight relegation and laid the groundwork for sustainable mid-table consolidation. Rather than attributing their survival to sudden tactical re-inventions or isolated individual magic, Farke articulated a cohesive leadership architecture grounded in clear, unyielding core theses:
- Principles Over Formational Dogma: Farke explicitly rejects rigid base formations in favor of foundational positional principles (Positionsspiel). While base shapes adapt dynamically to opponent structures, non-negotiable principles—such as numerical overloads in central channels, aggressive rest defense, and controlled build-up phases—form the immutable DNA of his squad.
- The Von Karajan Conductor Model: Drawing directly from classical music history, Farke adopts Herbert von Karajan’s philosophy of leadership: building meticulous structural patterns during mid-week preparation, then stepping back on matchdays to allow elite players to perform without micro-management interference.
- Cross-Sport Systems Synthesis: Incorporating concepts from NBA basketball—specifically Phil Jackson’s Chicago Bulls and Triangle spacing frameworks—Farke has transformed traditional footballing attack schemes into structured, repeatable offensive sets rather than relying purely on spontaneous individual creativity.
- Spine-First Squad Engineering: Top-flight stabilization requires prioritizing foundational positions over cosmetic luxury signings. The summer acquisition of Harry Wilson from Fulham adds specialized final-third incision, while Farke identifies an elite shot-stopping goalkeeper as the single highest-leverage asset for preserving league points.
- The 95/5 Work-Rest Operational Ratio: Farke balances an intensive, detail-obsessed 11-month work ethic with structured moments of complete emotional release. His self-described split of 95% "coffee and cake" (calm, accessible, humanistic leadership) and 5% "fire beast" (uncompromising competitive drive and energetic celebration) maintains team cohesion and wards off psychological burnout.
2. Context & Background: The Landscape Leading to This Conversation
To fully appreciate the weight of Farke’s reflections, one must evaluate the volatile historical backdrop of Leeds United Football Club across the preceding quarter-century. Since the collapse of the Peter Ridsdale era in the early 2000s, Elland Road has developed a reputation as one of the most demanding, pressure-cooker environments in European football. As Farke half-jokingly noted, the club appeared to cycle through "147 managers in a year" before establishing structural stability under his tenure, which began in the summer of 2023.
After navigating two rigorous Championship campaigns and securing automatic promotion, the 2025/26 Premier League season posed an immediate test of Farke’s structural methods. The autumn period proved especially grueling. By November 2025, Leeds had suffered five defeats in six matches, triggering intense media scrutiny and speculative pressure regarding job security. In a market where club boards frequently panic and abandon long-term projects, Farke remained steadfast in his methodology, relying on experience and emotional equilibrium.
The pivotal moment of the campaign arrived through what Farke terms the "ketchup bottle effect": an arduous period of persistent positional work where performance metrics indicated structural stability despite disappointing raw scores, followed by a sudden, overwhelming breakthrough. This turning point materialized in a benchmark home victory against Chelsea at Elland Road, sparking a momentum shift that propelled Leeds out of the drop zone and toward a comfortable 14th-place finish with 43 points.
The conversation took place during Leeds United’s 2026 pre-season tour in the United States, commencing just two days after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Operating under oppressive summer heat and managing fragmented squad availability due to international commitments, Farke used this period to lay physical, tactical, and cultural foundations for the upcoming campaign, while integrating new signings like Harry Wilson into his system.
3. Deep-Dive Thematic Breakdown
3.1 Tactical Dogma vs. Principles: The Architecture of Farke's Structural DNA
Central to Farke’s tactical doctrine is the distinction between rigid base formations and fluid structural principles. Modern football analysis frequently over-indexes on starting diagrams—whether a team lines up in a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, or 3-4-2-1. Farke dismantles this superficial framing, asserting that base formations are merely starting coordinates subject to fluid match dynamics, whereas principles represent the team’s non-negotiable identity.
In Farke’s model, principles dictate how space is created, occupied, and exploited regardless of nominal position. During the build-up phase, his teams prioritize deep central possession to draw out opposition pressing blocks, creating artificial space behind the first line of defense. The attacking mid-fielders are instructed to operate inside the opponent’s half-spaces, forming passing triangles with the advancing full-backs and central midfielders.
| Operational Dimension |
Base Formation Approach (Superficial) |
Farke's Principle-Driven Approach (Structural DNA) |
| Positional Assignment |
Fixed spatial zones based on starting lineup card (e.g., rigid right winger staying wide). |
Dynamic zone occupancy based on ball position and teammate movement to maintain spatial balance. |
| Build-Up Geometry |
Static 4-2 backline structure regardless of opponent pressing triggers. |
Asymmetric build-up shapes (+1 overload) utilizing goalkeeper integration to bypass press lines. |
| Rest Defense |
Reactive tracking back by wingers and full-backs after ball turnover occurs. |
Pre-emptive structural positioning (3+2 or 2+3 block) behind the ball while attacking to extinguish counters. |
| Final Third Execution |
Reliance on individual intuition and isolated 1v1 wing isolation play. |
Pre-designed positional patterns, underlapping runs, and targeted weak-side switches. |
This principle-first architecture explains why Leeds avoided tactical collapse during their autumn slump. By focusing on process quality rather than short-term result variance, Farke ensured that when individual execution re-aligned with structural patterns, results followed naturally. His philosophy proves that long-term competitive consistency requires absolute commitment to underlying tactical values rather than constant formational tweaking.
3.2 The Symphony of Leadership: Von Karajan's Conductor Model and Humanistic Man-Management
One of the most striking revelations in the interview is Farke’s reliance on classical music leadership principles, specifically referencing legendary Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan of the Berlin Philharmonic. Von Karajan famously summarized his secret to managing world-class musicians: "I don't disturb my musicians while they're playing music."
Farke adapts this perspective to elite football management, establishing a clean boundary between mid-week preparation and matchday execution:
"I want my players to shine. It's not important for me to shine; it's about these young men being in the spotlight... In the background, it's important to show leadership and to let them shine. It's not just leaning back and making sure you don't disturb them; you have to give them patterns, processes, and principles. But within those patterns, allow them to use their creativity and quality to make the whole ensemble successful."
This approach highlights a key flaw in contemporary coaching: touchline over-coaching. Managers who scream continuous tactical directives from the technical area risk creating anxious, robotic players who freeze when faced with unexpected match scenarios. Farke views his role during the training week as a rigorous orchestrator who embeds habits, movement patterns, and physical conditioning. Once the referee blows the opening whistle, authority shifts to the players on the pitch.
Furthermore, Farke grounds his leadership in deep human empathy. Rejecting the view of footballers as transactional assets or data points, he treats his squad as multi-dimensional human beings who require trust, warmth, and psychological security. His training mantra—"You always get what you invest; you always play like you train"—establishes high professional standards without resorting to fear-based authority.
3.3 Cross-Sport Synthesis: NBA Systematics, Phil Jackson, and Offensive Spacing
Farke’s managerial philosophy extends well beyond traditional footballing boundaries. During his formative coaching years, he studied American professional sports, drawing primary tactical inspiration from the NBA—specifically the 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty coached by Phil Jackson.
While association football and basketball differ in squad size and field dimensions, Farke identified clear structural parallels in spatial management and offensive set design. Historically, football coaching treated defensive organization as a structured science while leaving offensive production to individual flair. Farke challenged this asymmetry by adapting basketball spacing principles to football's attacking third:
- Structured Offensive Patterns: Establishing clear, repeatable movement sequences in possession to ensure players instinctively know where passing lanes will open before receiving the ball.
- Weak-Side Isolation & Overload: Methodically overloading one flank with short passing sequences to compress the opponent’s defensive block, followed by rapid diagonal switches to exploit isolated 1v1 scenarios on the weak side.
- Patience in Possession: Mirroring shot-clock management by probing low defensive blocks until high-probability scoring zones become accessible, avoiding rushed low-value crosses.
Farke’s intellectual curiosity extends to regular peer exchanges with elite coaches across Europe, including tactical discussions with Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel, alongside leadership insights from Jürgen Klopp. Additionally, his close working alignment with Leeds United’s ownership group, 49ers Enterprises, provides a direct conduit to analytical methodologies honed in American sports franchises.
3.4 Squad Construction Dynamics: The Harry Wilson Acquisition and Goalkeeper Spine Primacy
Squad construction in top-flight football requires balancing short-term competitive survival with long-term asset value. Farke’s recruitment strategy focuses on fortifying the team's central spine while adding targeted quality in high-leverage positions.
The summer acquisition of Harry Wilson from Fulham exemplifies this strategy. Wilson brings proven Premier League experience, positional versatility, and elite ball-striking metrics. Farke identified Wilson as the ideal solution for unpicking low-block defenses:
"Harry brings creativity when in a dangerous situation to play the final pass or take the perfect finish. He has an instinctive finish and an instinct for playing the pass always in the right moment, always with the right speed. If we can put him into our structure and let him live his creativity, he could be a major step up in our offensive threats."
Equally critical to Farke’s squad architecture is the defensive spine, specifically the goalkeeper position. While modern media narrative often prioritizes high-fee attacking transfers, Farke maintains that a top-tier goalkeeper is the single most vital defensive asset for a newly established Premier League club:
"The goalkeeper position is crucial because he saves your points. Especially for a side that is just on the way to establish themselves at the Premier League level, you need a top-class number one... Your core bones in the team have to be spot on."
Crucially, Farke enforces a strict cultural filter on all prospective transfers. Technical talent alone is insufficient; new arrivals must demonstrate low ego, high work ethic, and adaptability to fit the tight-knit atmosphere of the Elland Road dressing room—a culture Farke describes as "a group of mates fighting together."
3.5 The Literary Manager: García Márquez, Intellectual Escapism, and Emotional Resilience
Beyond tactics and sports science, Farke’s personal background offers rare insight into the psychological traits required to survive elite managerial pressure. Before committing fully to professional football coaching, Farke pursued literature during his youth, contemplating a career as an author. He remains an avid reader, maintaining three to four books simultaneously across classical literature, philosophy, and Scandinavian crime thrillers by authors such as Peter Høeg and Jørn Lier Horst.
During the interview, the discussion touched on a profound quote by Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez: "It's not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old; they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams." Farke’s affinity for Márquez highlights his view of football as an emotional, humanistic pursuit rather than a purely mechanical enterprise.
Intellectual escapism serves a practical purpose in high-stress management. By engaging with literature, history, and classical music, Farke maintains perspective when media scrutiny intensifies during difficult results. This intellectual breath enables him to return to the training field with clarity, protecting his players from external panic and maintaining environmental stability.
4. Speaker Perspectives & Analytical Contrast
The dialogue between host Roger Bennett and Daniel Farke offered a compelling contrast in analytical perspectives. Bennett, framing the conversation through a dramatic media lens, frequently returned to romantic themes: the heroic recovery from autumn struggles, the viral social media moment when Farke casually controlled a flying match ball on the touchline against Watford, and the charismatic "fire beast" celebrations following league survival.
Farke, while appreciating the host's narrative framing, consistently anchored his responses in practical managerial science. His counter-analyses deconstructed romantic media tropes into deliberate professional choices:
- On the Viral Touchline Ball Control: Where Bennett saw an iconic moment of cool authority, Farke explained it as a calculated demonstration to set technical standards for his players, executed with deliberate touchline composure to project unshakeable calm under stadium pressure.
- On the "Fire Beast" Persona: Where the media interprets Farke's 5% "fire beast" mode as pure wild celebration, Farke defined it as a necessary reward mechanism. Demanding 11 months of continuous discipline without celebrating milestones creates unsustainable psychological tension. The 5% release validates the 95% routine.
- On Navigating Job Security Pressure: While media coverage during November framed Leeds' slump as an existential crisis, Farke evaluated it through statistical variance. Armed with prior promotion and relegation experiences, he maintained absolute emotional composure, living by his personal mantra: "If you can't handle the heat, then don't go to the kitchen."
5. Strategic & Industry Implications
Farke’s insights carry broad implications for how football clubs approach promotion, tactical identity, and squad construction in the modern game. For newly promoted clubs navigating the immense financial gap of the Premier League, Farke’s tenure at Leeds provides a sustainable operational template:
1. Financial Discipline via Structural Coaching
Many promoted clubs panic in their first transfer window, overspending on inflated player contracts and destroying dressing room wage structures. Farke demonstrates that structural coaching, physical conditioning, and principle-driven tactical clarity can extract upper-tier performance from mid-tier squad budgets, preserving long-term financial health.
2. The Evolution of Managerial Profiles
The era of the purely autocratic micro-manager is coming to an end. Modern top-flight success increasingly belongs to polymath leaders who combine tactical clarity with emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and ideas borrowed from other disciplines. Farke’s ability to synthesise insights from basketball spacing, orchestral leadership, and literary philosophy reflects the multidimensional nature of modern sports leadership.
3. Culture as a Competitive Advantage
In a hyper-commercialized league where player turnover is rapid, establishing an authentic team culture functions as a genuine competitive advantage. Farke’s emphasis on collective humility, mutual accountability, and genuine camaraderie enables Leeds United to consistently outperform squads boasting higher individual market values but inferior collective cohesion.
6. Looking Ahead: Unresolved Questions & Next Milestones
As Leeds United enter their second consecutive Premier League season under Farke’s stewardship, the club shifts focus from survival to upper-mid-table consolidation. To track the execution of Farke’s plan over the coming campaign, analysts and supporters must monitor several key performance metrics:
- Harry Wilson’s Final-Third Impact: Will Wilson’s arrival successfully elevate Leeds’ expected goals (xG) and expected threat (xT) metrics against low-block defenses, transforming tight draws into decisive victories?
- Shot-Stopping Metrics & Goalkeeper Performance: Can Leeds secure an elite shot-stopper whose post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed (PSxG-GA) differential remains consistently positive, preserving vital league points?
- Tactical Evolution vs. Top-Six Opposition: How successfully will Farke’s principle-based system adapt when facing elite pressing sides, balancing deep build-up risk against structural rest defense?
- Maintaining Dressing Room Cohesion: As squad depth increases to support top-flight demands, can Farke preserve the tight-knit team culture that defined their survival campaign?
Daniel Farke’s journey at Leeds United represents a compelling fusion of romantic ideal and pragmatic execution. By grounding his team in structural principles, fostering humanistic leadership, and drawing wisdom from diverse disciplines, Farke has built a resilient foundation at Elland Road—proving that even in the high-stakes pressure cooker of Premier League football, success belongs to those who invest deeply, prepare meticulously, and never stop pursuing their dreams.
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You're listening to the Men in Blazers media network, suboptimal radio. My guest today is a gent who's a self-described footballing romantic, a fire beast who led leads to promotion, man the DJ decks, and then some of the tactical alchemy to lead them to 14th place, preparing for a second straight Premier League season, currently wearing shorts on the sideline of lead US pre-season tour, absorbing more UV rays than in the dozen Yorkshire summers. It's a joy to welcome Mr Daniel Farker. Thanks a lot for having me. It's a joy to be with you. I want to go right back to the day these secured Premier League survival may first 2026, lead 3, Burnley 1, Ellen Road, post game, it had been some journey, an agony of a start, and then that fight towards 14th place. Looking at your face as you clap the crowd, it was pride, exhaustion, relief, vindication. What did you feel inside? Because even Homer would say that you had some kind of crazy odyssey. Yes, all of this motions I would say, especially exhausted a bit like today, after the training sessions, so I look a bit sweaty and depleted as well, but of course, it was also like a great moment because you work so hard for such a long time over weeks and month, together of course with our group of staff members, our group of players with a whole club who is pretty much a family club towards one goal, and once you then finally achieve it, it's of course a feeling of great pleasure, of pride. In this moment, you also feel quite humble if I'm honest because you know how much it, it means to this club and to all supporters, especially to be successful and to be allowed to play again in the best league in the world, in the Premier League, and in this moment, it was quite emotional I would say. It wasn't like a normal moment, it wasn't just like a clap over the head and then a point, there was a lot of emotion there because it had been some journey. Yes, of course, you need a bit of time also to realise what you have to achieve and what you have achieved, and especially you also need a few days to adapt to this situation because in the moment it feels a bit surreal and it feels like you're a bit like out of your body and watch a whole scenario, it was a bit like this, but especially for the people who put so much trust in me also to lead this fantastic club after such a long time, back to the top flight and bring success back to this club with this unbelievable transition. Yeah, it was a great responsibility and it comes along with expectations and also pressure and then to achieve it finally is a great feeling. Everyone loves your quote about your own personality, that you're 95% coffee and cake and 5% fire beast, which I think means party animal in English rather than fire beast, but I kind of everyone loves the fire beast things. You said the some days during the year when you can still prove that you're alive and then imagine saving yourself from relegation at 14th place, that must have been kind of a fire beast night. Can you tell us your best moment of the celebration? No, it was long night and we had so many cold drinks and also for that, I can't remember too much of them, I'm honest because normally I'm not into alcohol at all so again I'm also trying to focus my boys more or less during a long season, it's more or less 11 months on one goal and I think I'm quite demanding and that also challenging and then I asked for each of the details has to be perfect at each of the percent counts and then you always have to be a driving force also as a manager, but it's also important once you achieve something like this, then to allow yourself or so to enjoy the moment and to celebrate a bit because all this hard work without enjoying would make no sense because then you're asking yourself one day why I'm doing all this hard work, but the other way around makes even less sense, just fun and just celebration without hard work is completely senseless and for that we always try to find a good balance and the description of 95% and 5% I think it sums it up quite well, only you can remember is it involved in DJ decks, everything else is just a foggy memory, more or less that's why, your preseason began just two days after the World Cup final, did you watch this tournament, do you watch it as a fan, do you watch it as a recruiter, do you watch it as a tactical mind, not much of a bonus because it was when I was younger doing my childhood of course like a World Cup was the biggest thing that you could watch in football and everyone was excited in weeks and months before and then you watch each other again more or less you get up in the middle of the night so when you have the time difference to my home country, Germany for example or if I'm in the UK you get up in the middle of the night to watch each other again, right now my job is more or less like I work, if you want to work on the top level you have to be a bit like a workaholic and I work more or less for 11 months really more or less tirelessly really with towards the target and I watch so many football games because there's another session more or less to prepare, there's another game to watch, another player to watch and I watch so many football games that during the four weeks or five weeks of summer break I try to stay a bit away in order to recharge and exactly during this time it's a World Cup so of course I watch the big games and of course was my German original, what's your German games for example, I was interested of course in the games of my players or what you ask games or what's your England games, there were a few games but not so highly motivated and really more like as a fan and not like with a tactical view I'm sitting in front of my laptop and watch so many games so I just want to enjoy this games and this is what we also need to keep and need to value but we still have a bit like this joy, a bit like a child about football and sometimes also just can enjoy the game. I want to talk about what you've described, how you approach your season, how you build that mental focus but I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you first about that moment against Watford, that ball is dropping onto the side line and you bring it down with a touch that is just so tender, you are so smooth with it, I think the flick between the legs was just chef's kiss, talk us through what you felt, is that ball just dropped here? Well I see the ball coming and of course should I do it, should I not do it because stadium was pulled back to what about 40,000? Yes and sometimes a bit luck in life is more important than quality anyway, also it wasn't good touch to be fair and then I felt straight away it was okay to touch, but then you have to play it cooler as it would be normal and I tried my best so at the Oscars I could therefore also like into invitation because inside I thought that touch was not too bad, the outside side just playing it chill, the inside is just like top five, of course you have to pretend a little bit and you also because it should look normal for my players to touch a ball like this. You know how massive that moment is on the internet, like how much it's replayed, that has a life and whenever managers try it and it just bounces off their knee, not naming names, but then immediately they'll show that and then they'll show yours. Yeah, pressure is on, you have to deal with the pressure, it sort of seems like I still got it. We're two games into the preseason and you've talked about preseason, the philosophy is this is where you build the foundation for the entire season ahead. What's that look like the foundations? Is it messaging? Is it tactics? What are you emphasising in this moment? All together, of course you need to work on your physical endurance, on your strength, it's a pretty important moment for being physically prepared for a long season, also to integrate especially the new players, lots of tactical work, also like tactical tweaks and details work because during the season sometimes you don't have that much time with so many games, so for that preseason is very important. Also to create still the culture within our club, our values, especially within the group of my players and my staff members, how we want to work for what we want to stand. I think it's important to be really on the details also in preseason and also to create this winning culture again, this mentality, we want to play football games or soccer games in order to win, in order to win games, not just not to lose it, it's more like we want to win football games. On the other hand, still also to strike the balance because we are still at the moment without a few key players who get a bit more rest after the World Cup, but also to give the stage a little bit to some younger players, to throw them into the mix, to see what they can do, for example during the training sessions or during the friendlies. Don't get me wrong, we still want to be successful also during preseason, but it's a word also like to find the balance between the hard work and not taking too much attention to the result of the games and also bringing some young players in and giving them some opportunities, but on the other hand also try to perform as good as possible and of course also to take the best possible results on this day, so it's a pretty demanding period with lots of training, but I quite like it. Mentality, how do you teach mentality? Is it just the messaging? To lead by example, it's what I try also like to make sure that you don't let the standards drop, so I'm a big believer in, on the midter in the long term, you always get what you invest, so sometimes you can be lucky even in football, you can whatever I have a week and year when you don't train that concentrated and have a night out for team building with the boys and still can win a game on the week and so sometimes it happens like this, but not over midter in long term, over midter in long term, I'm a big believer and you always get what you're willing to invest, you always play like you train and this more or less the culture I want to want to in this, so I know that I work together with you beings and not with robots and sometimes you have to allow them also to enjoy themselves and to be not 100% on it, but it has to be the right moment, otherwise I make sure that the standards don't drop and this is yeah, the only way I know how to work successful and I think this is quite important and yeah for that it's a pretty demanding period also for my players. I want to talk about this season, but I do need to go back to the last season, it was first back in the Premier League, two seasons in the championship and there were early moments of challenge, spoiler alert, it ends well, really, really well, but November, lead it lost five out of six games, a manager's job is so unforgiving, the rumour mill is loud, what do you say to yourself in moments of challenge when there's doubt all around you, do you feel it, do you keep it out, how do you mentally survive through tough times and yeah? Yes, so experience always helps, was of course in the early stages of my coaching career perhaps that you get a bit more nervous, but generally not a guy who crumbles and the pressure so in general I would always pick myself in the moment when it really counts and when the pressure is on, I stay even more calm or try to stay more calm and I'm at my very best because we all want a job where you work on and where you feel it really matters and my mantras also like if you can't handle the heat then don't go to the kitchen any also. I knew exactly when I was signing a contract for Lee tonight at this amazing club, whatever in the last 25 years that feels like 147 managers in a year or so, normally I'm here since more than three years meanwhile to endure more than three months, it's more or less a miracle for this club because expectations are so high, it's such a passionate club and the tradition is there and we are one city, one football club city, so this is very rare in the UK, so normally you have London with 12, 14 clubs, you have Manchester with two clubs, you have Liverpool with two clubs, but Lee tonight is a massive city just one club and you have a great responsibility and a great pressure, but you have to be prepared for this and especially doing a bit more challenging times and it's important also to be a bit like a shield for your players and no one wants then a manager who is on the sideline or on the training pitch, a bit hectic or jumping around on nervous. During this time you have to stay even more calm and cooler and this is the only way how you can bring such a passionate and emotional club to success and this is what I'm trying to do. A serious question, is it fun being a football manager? What is the fun in being a football manager? Because it seems like 95% of it is just stress. The best time I have, you're honest, the best time is as a player anyhow because then you just have to look after yourself, you have to make sure that you're ready for training for the games, you play during my playing times was possible to play a game, we won the game okay, you celebrate with the boys, yeah I mean right a bit older, I'm so exhausted after the game, I'm happy when I'm on my sofa with a coffee and a cake anyhow so I'm too old for the celebration anymore but I wouldn't ask Pep Godeal at the eye and he's like yes I like it, in the most unconvincing way possible, but there is something that keeps you driving onwards, can you put into words what it is? No purpose lying in this moment, he's also exhausted after the game but I know I'm quite well and we get along quite well and have a really good relationship and for that it's a very demanding job and costs lots of energy and you have to be ready for this, it's more like the inner pride and the inner fun that you feel in this moment and the moments when you can let your head on a bit with reflect, for example during the summer break when you're together with your loves and with your family and can enjoy a nice evening and also look back a little bit of what you have achieved and yeah for example we had also great success two years ago with bringing leads back to the Premier League and had to open bus through the city and was crazy, the city was packed with more than 300,000 people and if you then have a look in their eyes and how much it means to them and how much joy and fun you gave them in this year for all of us sometimes also the challenging and difficult times in in our days, this is a moment when you feel really really good and really well and enjoy also like what you have done and this is really a DJ deck, that's the fun of being the manager. Yeah so I'm still not dead and you're also for that member to any home and during my, you've had times I grew up with 90s I would be and then lots of house music and you're also I still could celebrate a little bit and to try out my best. Your story of how you survived last season is well told, November 29th, 2-0 down, Manchester City, you made the change in formation, how long did you held onto that tactical possibility, the three at the back, did it just come to you or you always had it in like a glass case that you could grab like a fire extinguisher in a in a moment of challenge? No it was well prepared because the game doesn't work like on the on the PlayStation where you just press some buttons anyhow and then it works you have to prepare it anyhow and of course we have worked a lot also during the preseason also during the games before to to be flexible on the training pitch and because you just can put on the paper okay we play a different formation have to know they're positioning they have to know what they have to do I'm not married and addicted to base formations not at all I'm addicted to principles and values and I always want to bring our principles on the pitch or our DNA will never change but I think especially as a promoted side once you don't have perhaps the best individual equality in comparison to your big competitors it's it's important that you are a bit more flexible in which way you bring your principles on the pitch and for that we changed a lot also during preseason and sometimes in the games before between form and formation three more information but sometimes a bit like a hybrid team so I can be also quite demanding to more players because they need to be ready and switched on and football intelligent but I have to prepare it on the training pitch that they exactly know they have what we have to do once we change it during a game or between games and yeah for that it was something that we have prepared it was of course a bit more in the spotlight because the main city game was then perhaps such a big difference when we changed it we have to be honest even changed before it did have such a big impact and for that of course everyone speaks about the main city game but the truth is it was well prepared and just hard work and not like a kind of mystical touch or magic it's hard work and then you said so beautiful you said the transformation wasn't just the formation I love your quote you said if it would be that easy anyone can become a Premier League manager say just play five three two let's go but you went on on the astonishing run and beat in seven straight and been in nine of the next ten it was a complete evolution or a lot like that from the outside mentally tactically it was like a transformational glower what was tactics what was mentality because I know you're big on mentality what was culture and there's a winning shape the culture or there's a culture shape the winning yeah some mentality that we've created within this group is sent to none anyway so really I've really I've worked in many dressing rooms but I've rarely experienced really like a spirit and togetherness like in this group it really feels a bit like there a group of mates of friends were fighting together and this is a professional sport very very rare so that was never endowed even during the times when boss before perhaps a few poorer results and you're also never endowed with very tight tied together as a as a group of course it's important to be always switch on how to help the team tactically so I'm not standing there with a hand in my pockets and drink a coffee and follow the game and you always have to be switched on order to help my players and to be there with the right decisions but in football it's also the momentum can change pretty quickly in both directions you always have to be switched on and of course if you then have a good moment a good result and then we followed it up with a great win big win against get Chelsea at home I think then you come into a momentum then it gives you a boost more or less also with the confidence and you have to use this momentum and keep it keep it rolling this what we have done from this moment so performance wise we were not far away sometimes you have to wait a little bit this bit like with a bottle of ketchup yeah some sometimes you have to check it nothing comes and then out of a sudden everything at the same moment and then you have to use this moment this what we've done during this because I hit the label on the top by the neck that's the secret goals that's right I love when you talk about the inspiration that you found from an Austrian symphony conductor Herbert von Karajan don't know if I pronounce that right I'm sorry Herbert he said his own professional secrets of balancing all the instruments was quote he doesn't disturb my musicians while they're playing music and I'm interested how do you find the balance between coaching managing your players controlling your players and knowing when to stand back just let them cook your well informed but I actually love this quote this quote from him because he was at this time then more or less the most famous conductor in the in the world and everyone was also wondering how out of such an orchestra of different characters of different instruments he was able to get such a harmony in this in this work and of course he was playing his role a bit down with this quote I don't disturb it and I like this attitude because I want my players to shine it's not important for for me to shine it's about for this young man any hour to to be in the spotlight and to shine and of course in the background it's important to show leadership and to let them shine and also to allow them to shine it's not the way just to lean back and make sure come on I don't disturb them of course you have to give them patterns you have to give them processes principles how they work but then also allow them to use within this this patterns and processes to use that creativity and use their use that quality to to make the whole ensemble more or less successful and and and to shine and this is I think what the most famous conductors similar as managers can do they know so that man management is quite important they know that like in all more or less companies once you feel valued once of course I need challenges and also demands but once you feel valued once you feel comfortable then you can be at your very best and this is also how I try to work as a football manager to support more or less my employees as are my my players and to give them more or less an atmosphere of of course challenges demands I expect a lot but also that they feel that they feel the trust that they feel composed and then they can be at their very best this is what I'm trying to do. It's advice for life for any leader never mind just football. We have Michela Teta on this show and he talked about how he spent time with his American counterparts at the Los Angeles Rams through the Kronki group. If you have any conversations with the San Francisco 49ers is there anything from American sports it's got in your mind that you're bringing over? Yes of course with our connections also a lot and I take lots of inspiration out of different things of course they are of course football managers with also in the past that have influenced me or in nowadays out of out of discussions with yeah some of the experts in this game and it's lovely to chat with with pepperboard tactical things with Thomas Tuchel about tactical things with you club about management you take a lot out of them but I'm always always open more or less like to learn also from other sports or also from other businesses I was always interested so I don't have just a football over on my neck anyhow so I was always open to learn from from other sports or other business I think it's it's quite important this chat or to ask or how a company is successful how a different sports organization is successful how for example an NBA team is successful it took also lots of inspirations of followed the NBA when I was was younger a lot was more or less as times as Michael Jordan and then the Yacht Chicago Bulls was there with their wins and also more or less man management of the big managers there and also also like basketball is different to to American soccer or football how we know call it in in the UK because it's a bit more stop a go but also like how to make sure that you have a clear strategy and processes for example in your attack and not just like it's a bit good incidents and creativity this was always the inspiration for me also to work slightly different to yeah how managers and football have perhaps worked 20 years ago it was okay we have to be structured in defense in the offense it's more like quality and creativity no I also want to help my offensive players how to start the tech it have clear processes so it was a big inspiration for the NBA for example Jackson I noticed his books more or less like a lemon rings and something hasn't inspired me a lot and for that it's always a big inspiration you more key signing for lead so far this summer Harry Wilson coming in from Fulham you know how I really make them look like a Fernando Torres stunt double can you talk about what you see in him where you see him thriving in your side that the challenge that he'll fix yes how he's a very experienced player on this level has lots of a primal experience and what I like about his career he has more or less improved from year to year and especially his last year was probably the best in his whole career has added fantastic numbers on primal level and he brings creativity when once he is in a dangerous situation to play the final pass or to take the perfect finish he has an instinctive finish and instinct for playing the pass always in the right moment always with the right speed and you know and I thought if he can put him into our structure and let him also live his creativity he could be a major major step up in our offensive threats and yeah hopefully he can prove me right also during during the season and for the only he's a fantastic fantastic guy and fantastic human being pretty picky also which players are bringing in I want good characters to fit to this group and for that we got the feeling he's the whole package but that's an idea right now he has to prove it also on the league there's a lot to talk about the goalkeeper position for most clubs you know big money's going on strikers or you know Morgan Rogers types but goalkeeping is ever more crucial imprimially unit central to the team's success the goalkeeper is it second third fourth most important player in terms of who you acquire? Yes I definitely a few very important positions and football one is definitely you need the goal scorer you need a top striker you need top center back it's important to have also like someone in the middle of the park who is on the there was a top quality on which rate a goalkeeper a strong number one exactly in this in this role so it's more or less your core bones in the team have to be stopped spot on and you not gamble but can also take a few risks perhaps a bit like on on on on positions on the winger positions or whatever but the goalkeeper number one is crucial because he saves your points and especially a society who is just on the way to establish themselves on primary level you need yeah at least a really good really good number one normally a top class number one this is what all clubs also in our positions are aiming for and for that number one position is very important in your mind what does this squad need not just to survive but to compete in the way you want it to what separates the two yes once you're in the position where we are and of course within one or two years it's not like then you would overtake clubs like man city Liverpool Arsenal just with individual quality of the player so I think it's it's quite important that you have a clear philosophy how you want to work a clear idea and DNA and philosophy how you want to play unique the outstanding fitness level I think the mentality and character to put more fight in this is quite important but also clear vision how you improve more less step by step from year to year and how to establish yourself and then one year also to speak about the top half of the table in the Premier League and then yeah hopefully in a few years even about Europe I know it's more or less I'm pretty focused and concentrated on the everyday life and the year the now and then not to look not to lose the focus on what is more most important to stay in this league and to win the next game also on the Sunday not to look far too far ahead but on the other hand also clear vision and clear clear plan how we want to improve and that's quite quite challenging I know you were a writer I can't wait for the novel that you're going to give us half the year at all yeah I know you would love to read I don't know what's the last great book that you've read I'm always more or less I have three or four different books that I that I read at the same time because no so sometimes just like I like sometimes even a Scandinavian thriller just like Peter Jones down Jones but for example great series by the way I hope everything's in there you see go for yeah yeah yeah top top at the moment I like also I read something from Messiah I guess I guess most of the time I read the books in German and he also for that I know the German titles better than the than you've got the time I'm simply and I think I read a lot by like man you are I'm going to get into the Daniel Farker book group I was I was book pretty much interesting literature in my younger years I actually was thinking about becoming a writer so because I've read so many so many books and all the old classics and you know from Shakespeare till whatever the American literature I was Walt Whitman and and everything so I really liked it I know you love the magical Columbian of the Gabrielle Garcia Marquez and the last book he published in his lifetime he wrote this he said it's not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams so Daniel why are you still dreaming about love this quote to be honest I was not wasn't aware of this it's a type of whole magical speech was was unbelievable I like really to read them so you need a bit to get into him but once you once you appreciate him I think it's fantastic to read yes of course we're all human beings and we want to develop further on and the most important of course is more or less like not just success or about money or whatever most important topic is more or less the connection that you have with people and you're all human beings and this is also what I tried to bring into my my work and you are not to treat my place as robots of course we we're working on the highest level and that we have to deliver and it's all about also about business about money and you have to be super professional but don't forget that you work and and you're together with human beings and all this experience that we create during our journey in life is important not to forget that we're all human beings and want to have a good time together and this is what I'm trying to to do also doing my work in that sense of connection that sense of joy to more of that in the seasons that come Daniel God's feet thank you man thank you thank you
