Farke's reading Leeds United criticism and it pumped key Thorp Arch ploy today

Celebrities will often say they don’t read the newspapers and the public should not believe anything they print. A lot of footballers will suggest the same in interviews, they don’t read social media or anything in the media about them or their performances. It can be irresistible to read what is being said about you, though.

For a lot of pros, there can be nothing gained from reading anything, good or bad, about them online. If it’s overly positive, it can give them an inflated ego or make them complacent and if it’s negative, it can kill confidence or make a situation seem worse than it really is.

Daniel Farke, it is clear, reads what is being typed and said about his Leeds United team. After his talk of encouragement off the back of Saturday’s loss, the general reaction across the fanbase on the notoriously unstable online space, has been negative with concerns raised about the direction of travel under a manager that has overseen four wins from his last 14 competitive fixtures.

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Farke came armed with the ammunition he felt he needed to shoot down the slings and arrows falling on Thorp Arch this week. He was resolute without being cocky or dismissive of fans’ concerns. Marcelo Bielsa, a hallowed topic in these parts, was mentioned more than once too.

He had the league standings ready for a whole host of stats, aimed at just reassuring supporters his side is in a good place, even if the results have not entirely followed the correct trend. Leeds are the best team in the Championship for possession, passing accuracy, passing quality and non-penalty expected goals against.

They are the second-best team in the league when it comes to shots against and expected goals from open play. Then they are the third-best team in the league for the number of shots they have taken. Even when it comes to the effort the players are putting in, Farke was ready to stress no team has a higher sprint distance than his side and only two teams have a greater distance covered than his.

Farke was ready to defend his position and repeated he is not a flag in the wind. Like Elland Road’s most famous Argentine, the current manager sees no future for a Leeds boss who changes their philosophy by the week. For all of the frustration from some on the terraces, the German made it clear to everyone he is not about to change anything drastically this weekend.

It’s only fair Farke uses this forum to defend his position. The media comes armed with what we think are questions supporters want answering and the rest is down to Farke to put the message out he thinks helps the team best. The stats were helpful in clarifying just where United are after five matches.

It will reassure some who were sitting on the fence about this nascent campaign. Ultimately, results, Farke knows, are all anyone cares about, but while there is still time for them to turn around, the manager is wise to list what’s been good about the team so far.

Farke's references to Bielsa, when his own entertainment factor is coming under scrutiny, should be kept to a minimum over the coming weeks. The title-winning coach and his principles should not be mentioned lightly while this team is outside the top six.