Leeds United manager Daniel Farke says Charlie Cresswell will not be part of his first-team plans as the defender is not “mentally ready” to play. Farke added that if Cresswell wants to leave and a club made the right proposal from Leeds’ perspective, they would be open to talking about a move. Cresswell, who signed a new four-year contract at Leeds in August, has made only four Championship appearances this season and just one start. The 21-year-old has played only once since August and has not seen any action at all since the first week of October. “One of my first decisions (in the summer) was we don’t send him out on loan,” Farke said. “I want Charlie to be one of the four centre-backs. He’s a great character, he’s one of our own, a young player and a good player with potential. It’s the reason why we gave him a long contract and his wish for the shirt number. “My decision was then that I played a lot with Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk, and also Liam Cooper because he’s our club captain and experienced. Liam has repaid my trust whenever I needed him. It ended up with Charlie being our number four centre-back. “You could sense that Charlie was not overly happy with this situation. Sometimes he was travelling with us and it was a little bit like he’s not really switched on and focused. We spoke openly and honestly about this and he said, ‘Listen boss, I totally appreciate everything but for me it’s difficult. I’m not happy to be centre-back number four. I want to be top two. I rate myself as a starter’. “It makes no sense if you’re not fully committed. He’s professional, never a problem with him, but it’s not like he’s fully committed. It was more like, ‘What am I doing here? I want to start’. I totally see why but I have to make the decisions for Leeds United.” Cresswell has struggled to make Farke’s matchday squads this season and was left out completely for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie at League One Peterborough. Cresswell spent last season on loan at Millwall, with Leeds still in the Premier League, making 28 Championship appearances. The England Under-21 international was told before the January transfer window opened that Leeds didn’t want him to go, despite his lack of minutes. Leeds have already lost two defenders this transfer window, with Djed Spence’s loan from Tottenham Hotspur cancelled and Luke Ayling departing on loan to Middlesbrough. “The ball is in his court,” Farke added on Cresswell’s future. “Either you find a solution, if you want to play for a different club, or you come to me and tell me you’re happy to be number four, totally committed. I have to wait for my chance and work for it. If you think right now you have the right to start ahead of Joe Rodon or Pascal Struijk, it’s not possible. “He won’t be picked until he is ready, mentally ready. I just want players who want to be there, accept their role and are fully on it. “It’s no accusation. I totally get Charlie’s point but the ball’s in his court. One thing’s for sure — we don’t present him as a gift and wrap him and give him to a club, (if) the club doesn’t fulfill our expectations. “Either there is a solution where a club reaches our expectations for a player full of potential, or not. Then he has to accept his role with the mindset of ‘I’m ready to fight.’ This is why I haven’t picked him in recent weeks and why I won’t pick him until the situation is sorted.”
I think this is a great example of why players sometimes need to leave clubs when it’s not anybody’s fault. Farke has been very open about it, some might say too open but personally I appreciate it. From Creswell’s perspective you can see it too. He’s ambitious, was well regarded last season at Millwall - wants to play and thinks he should be playing… but it’s going to take injuries or suspensions for him to get a kick. You can understand his frustration. Should he knuckle down and crack on and show a better attitude? I can understand people thinking that and others maybe thinking Farke has chucked him under the bus here. As fans we often pick a side in these situations but sometimes it’s just a reflection of a set of circumstances where team and individual objectives arent aligned.
Get where you're coming from milky but as a professional footballer you have to accept the managers decision and be ready when called upon. The situation we're now in with both Struijk and Cooper out injured and still no Cresswell in the squad is entirely of his own doing and is hugely disappointing because it shouldn't be like that.
fair point Jammy and I think there’s a distinction between being ‘miffed’ in your dialogue with the manager and ‘not being ready to play’ on this one no excuse if he’s thrown his toys out of the pram and refusing to play. If it’s just that Farke is refusing to select him because Charlie had expressed his discontent - then that’s more a grey area.
There is absolutely no suggestion that he's refused to play, or had thrown his toys out, but the inference from Farke was that his attitude when travelling with the squad knowing he was 4th choice wasn't as it should be. Maybe all players are a bit like that who knows but clearly Farke wasn't happy. In some ways Cresswell is lucky to have such an understanding manager who's left a way for him to come back in as long as he's willing to accept the situation and fight for his place.
FARKE being honest with the fans is one thing but being antagonistic towards Cresswells dad and his football agency is another thing. FARKE obviously not happy about Richard Cresswells post and now Hayden Evan’s is going to be peed off too. Let’s remember that there are a lot of Leeds players in this agency and how would you feel if Hayden Evan’s went out and courted clubs to come in for Archie Gray. There are ways of sorting things out without going public.
So journalists need to do their job and ask questions regarding Cresswell, someone does, Farke answers honestly and he is being antagonistic towards Cresswell's dad? Fecking glad I don't cook your dinner of an evening, your missus must be a saint
Doc this Cresswell situation has been going on behind the scenes for some considerable time and Farke and has been keeping it all in house. Anyway no player is bigger than the club and so I'm backing our manager 100% in this one.
Exactly. This should be his opportunity to play and play so well that Farke can’t drop him but he seems to be throwing that chance away.
