Leeds manager Daniel Farke said his players were “highly motivated” to further their FA Cup “dream” as a 3-0 win against Norwich would see them face West Ham United in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2003.
Leeds to face Hammers
First-half goals from Sean Longstaff and Gabriel Gutmundsson gave Leeds the lead against Falke’s former club at Elland Road, and late action from Joel Pillow sealed their place in the last eight.
Meanwhile, West Ham reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 10 years with a 5-3 penalty shootout win over Brentford after Dango Ouattara’s Panenka-style penalty miss.
Coach Falke said, “It’s a big topic that we made it to the quarterfinals.I think the last time we made it to the quarterfinals was a while ago, more than 20 years ago.”
“For us, it’s still not realistic to win this cup, but you never know. We want to enjoy this cup a little bit more. The dream is still on and we’re looking forward to a draw. Hopefully another home game.”
“We haven’t had too many home games in the FA Cup over the last few decades, so I probably see it as motivation to be able to create another great piece of history for this club.”
Leeds won just once, in 1972, but last reached the last eight in 2003, when they lost 1-0 to former manager Terry Venables’ Sheffield United.
Falke must flop Leeds, who are becoming as meaningless as Buonanotte.
On current evidence, the Leeds defender looks like as big a mistake as Facundo Buonanotte.
Falke stressed that staying in the Premier League remains the club’s priority. “I have one wish. It would be great if we could play a home game, but we are in a privileged position to be in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.”
“The big names – Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea – are still more or less still there. So, again, we are not favorites yet.
“But we also know that if we have a good day, we can win any game, especially one game.
“It feels good at the moment. It feels great to be on the big stage again in this tournament. We have a strong motivation to make this dream come true for as long as possible.”
Leeds star could be sold after last chance against Norwich
Falke made only a few small changes to his squad for the match against his former club, but will be expected to be at near-full strength for the trip to the London Stadium.
This could mean Daniel James has one last chance to improve after struggling to win against the Canaries, with reports from Leeds Press suggesting the winger could be sold this summer.
Indeed, the Welshman’s chances have been limited after manager Farke called for a change in formation at the start of the season, and with his current salary of £75,000 a week, the club are reportedly considering raising funds this summer.
High income earners in Leeds | Total salary per week |
|---|---|
dominic calvert lewin | 100,000 pounds |
Sean Longstaff | 80,000 pounds |
daniel james | 75,000 pounds |
Noah Okafor | 72,500 pounds |
pascal struik | 50,000 pounds |
James joined from Manchester United for £25m in 2021 and was an excellent mainstay, but has been plagued by injuries this season and has started just four Premier League games.
The 28-year-old hasn’t started a league game since he got stuck at half-time in the defeat to Manchester City, which was exactly the moment the manager switched to a back three and turned the Whites’ season around.
He’s Jack Harrison 2.0: Falke shouldn’t get off to a flop start at Leeds again this season
The Leeds United man is on his way to becoming the next Jack Harrison at Elland Road.
The paper claims James’ salary will be a “major hurdle” in finding a suitor this summer, with the transfer fee likely to be far short of the £25m he was paid five years ago.
