If Leeds United are looking for a manager with a proven track record in the Championship then there may be no better candidates than Daniel Farke.
As Leeds' search for Sam Allardyce's successor continues, former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke is reportedly still on the shortlist. And as far as his Championship record goes, well it speaks for itself. He won the title twice in his three second-tier campaigns at Norwich City, and would seemingly be well-placed then to get Leeds back to the big time too.
While Farke would ultimately fail in both attempts to keep the Canaries in the top flight (he was sacked after just 11 games of his second attempt), the German head coach has proven a master of guiding a side out of the Championship and to the Premier League.
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So impressive was his second-tier record at Norwich, he won 71 and lost only 29 of his 138 games in charge of the Norfolk club. Their second promotion came with a club-record 97 points and saw them concede just 36 goals in their 46 games that season. He was unsurprisingly named Championship Manager of the Year.
Leeds United fans might be wary given that Farke did take two seasons initially to get the Canaries back to the top flight. They finished eighth in the season before his arrival, dropping to 14th in his first campaign. But with belief in his principles, and despite the sale of key man James Maddison, Farke then guided Norwich to the Championship title.
Speaking in March while still in charge of Borussia Monchengladbach, Farke reflected on that first season at Carrow Road, comparing it to the job he was doing at that time in Germany. He said: “The situation in Norwich was quite comparable. A traditional club in England with high expectations. When you play in the Championship, you want to play for the top six to go straight back up.
"The squad didn't give up that well, there were a lot of injury problems, so we had to manage quite a bit of upheaval. It was all about playing a stable season and slowing down the downward trend. And then set yourself up well for the new season."
But Farke's job at Leeds United would be much more comparable to his second title win at Norwich because not only does he now have the relevant experience and know-how of the English second tier, but he will also benefit from the club's parachute payments and financial advantages they offer.
Since leaving Norwich, Farke has held two roles, though the first of them at Russian side Krasnodar ended before he even took charge of a competitive break due to the winter break and then the invasion of Ukraine. A few months later he was instead named head coach at Monchengladbach.
The 46-year-old left after just one season in charge, however, in what was described as a mutual decision to part ways. He won just 12 of his 36 games in charge, with Monchengladbach finishing tenth, exactly the same as the season prior.
