Leeds United manager Daniel Fark watches with a friendly pre-season (Photo: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)
Leeds United continued their inconsistent start to the season with a victory at Molinaw, when Daniel Fark’s team won the first victory of the campaign.
The manager’s decision to stick to the same lineup that attracted criticism in his defeat to Fulham was satisfied with peace of mind as Frontline was delivered this time when it was important to the Wolves.
In London, the attacking trio of Brenden Arson, Dominique Calver Truwin and Noah Okafor were not bothered by the scoreboard. But in Molineux, they proved that the suspects were wrong.
Calvert-Lewin, who fought for form this season, opened an account, but Okafor added another to seal off the 2-0 result, securing all three points for the white guy on the trip.
Noah Okafor wasted
Despite the scores, Okafor’s display was not perfect. The Swiss forward wasted and lost the ball 22 times. Fark was not embarrassed to discuss the issue after the match.
Speaking before Leeds’ next match against Bournemouth, the German coach admitted the issue, but defended the player’s overall contribution. He suggested that loss of ownership was often a by-product of risk-taking and attack intent.
Daniel Fark of Okafor
He said (H/T Leeds Press): “I don’t accept this (losing the ball). It needs to be criticized.
“But he has to turn his back on his opponent’s goals and he has to be strong.
“He comes from another league. The Premier League is more physical. Sometimes he claims he’s fouled rather than adapting because he’s solid.
“It’s physical, and his success rate in his duel could be better.
“The threat of his final product and goals is good. He can keep the ball better. We’ll talk about this, we’re honest about it.
“Of course, he’s a risk-taking player. Timing is important, when to take the risk and when to keep it.”
It will be interesting to see if Okafor can work in that area of his game and improve in the coming months. He’s definitely a talented player. He was able to grow into a Leeds star.