Daniel Farke says Leeds United ‘brilliant’ man lacks confidence at the moment, it could be time to drop him

However, Leeds cannot afford to be down for too long as they get a second bite of the cherry with a two-legged tie against Farke’s old club Norwich City.

Leeds fans aren’t too confident of their team’s chances of heading into the play-offs, but it’s now up to Farke to get his side back to playing the way they were before the international break.

In attack in particular, Leeds have arguably the best individual quality of the four teams in the play-offs and Farke must find a way to get the best out of them.

Farke admits Georginio Rutter is struggling for confidence at the moment

It’s normal that at some point in a grueling 46+ game season, the confidence level will be low. Unfortunately for Leeds, it arrived at the worst possible time for too many players.

Joel Piroe clearly struggled to find the net on Saturday, while Illan Meslier also looked very shaky.

Conceding nine goals in their last three games would also indicate that Leeds’ defense is not performing as well as it has been.

But the most obvious drop in performance of late has been Georginio Rutter. The 22-year-old hasn’t scored a goal or an assist in eight games, but his overall play has been the most alarming.

Speaking in Saturday’s post-match press conference, Farke admitted Rutter’s confidence level has taken a hit but is determined to help him get back to his best.

He said, “Your observation is correct. It is important to signal to him that he should not be too angry or disappointed because who should be blamed for this. Outstanding this season. Team of the season. Creativity is also one of our key parts.

“Fate that the injury and the surgery were there. I wanted to come back as soon as possible. Forced into games and is an exciting player. Confident player who feels it. Naturally enough, his first few games weren’t the best without training and this affected his confidence. You can’t be blamed for that. Returns.

“First full season here. Hard to adapt to this situation. It gave him a chance to find his rhythm. Good on the training ground. I have to work with him because we need him to get back to full, but unfortunately he needed surgery.”

It might be time for Farke to let Rutter go

As mentioned, Rutter has been one of the keys to Leeds’ successful season, but he just isn’t doing what he once was.

On Saturday, he attempted just one dribble in the 62 minutes he was on the court, which he failed to complete. Considering he’s averaging nearly three a game over the course of the season, that’s a clear sign he’s struggling.

It has now also been eight games since he last created a ‘big chance’. Only Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu has more than him in the Championship this season, which is another important indicator that he is far from the best.

With that in mind, it’s clear that the ‘genius’ Rutter isn’t giving the team what it should be, and Leeds can’t afford to carry any passengers into the play-offs.

As hard as it is, Farke may have to make the brutal decision to bench him. Coming up against tired defenses might actually be just what he needs to find his best again.

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