Daniel Farke criticises four-goal Leeds United man as style-of-play question honestly addressed
Daniel Farke has urged Brenden Aaronson to work on reserving energy for Leeds United’s more critical in-game moments after seeing the American waste chances during Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Millwall.
Aaronson was his side’s most influential player going forward at the Den, buzzing across the attacking unit and producing some tidy passes to boot. But the 24-year-old was unable to produce his best moment when it mattered most, working space in the Millwall box but firing his effort straight at goalkeeper Lukas Jensen.
With four goals to his name – only Joel Piroe has more with five – Aaronson is already into his most productive campaign since leaving RB Salzburg for Leeds in 2022, but an impressive start to his Elland Road return has not been without frustrating final-third moments. And Farke knows his new No.10 can improve even further with a more measured and efficient approach.
“If you have a look on the workload, he was the hardest-working player on the pitch yesterday,” Farke said of Aaronson. “With him what I criticise a little bit, he was in a shooting position, I want my No. 10 to be there with a finish, choose one corner of the goal, be more tidy in the finishing. We spoke at half-time, that he runs too much, that he overloads the wings and then in the decisive moments where it counts [he’s not ready].
“This is out of good intention, his feeling for the positioning, different style of football before, for teams a bit more hectic. He has to channel it. If he calms his game down in some areas and moments, he will be in more concentrated positions to play the final pass or finish. If you play football with always pulse 200 [bpm] it’s hard to be cool in the head.”
Aaronson did enough to keep himself on the pitch until full-time, with Farke opting to remove the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Joe Rothwell instead. The latter’s removal for Manor Solomon even saw the American drop into a deeper role, with Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford later thrown on in a desperate attempt to equalise.
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