Leeds United have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Scottish forward Lewis Pirie.
The 17-year-old is currently on the books of Aberdeen, but has been linked with a move to Elland Road. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Leeds have agreed a deal worth £200,000 to bring Pirie to West Yorkshire.
Leeds have made a habit of signing young talent in recent years, recruiting for youth sides as well as the senior team. They have had varying levels of success with this type of recruitment, although there are high hopes for some of the club’s more recent additions including Darko Gyabi and Mateo Joseph.
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Leeds United coach reveals Thorp Arch insight and training plan as Daniel Farke ‘steps in’
Leeds United welcomed Daniel Farke and his three-strong initial staff to Elland Road and Thorp Arch this week, when the German signed a four-year deal to manage the club.
Daniel Farke is the only boss Eddie Riemer the football coach has ever known. Leeds United’s new manager recruited Riemer, a centre-back, at SV Lippstadt and when the latter decided to retire aged 29 in 2015 to go into coaching it was all thanks to Farke.
“I took the decision to go into full-time coaching, I wouldn’t have done it without him, he was the main reason,” Riemer told Norwich Talk in a 2021 interview.
“I trusted him as a player, I buy fully into the idea of football he has, the guy he is, the character he is and the effect he has on the team. Everything he is doing he thinks really well. Back when he signed me, in the first week, I knew this guy knows what he wants to do, he has a clear idea.”
From Lippstadt Farke took Riemer to Borussia Dortmund II as his assistant. Riemer was there by his side at Norwich City, Krasnodar and Borussia Monchengladbach, too. Throughout their long association, Riemer insists the boss has remained consistent.
“I don’t think he’s changed a lot, the last years, he’s still the same guy, he’s true to himself,” said Riemer.
“It’s always an open discussion with him, he’s always listening to opinions. If you’re an assistant coach you want your voice to be heard and this is what happens. It’s always a joy to work with him.”
The brand of football they employ has been largely consistent too, albeit with the natural evolution that most coaches permit and situational tweaks. Former players of Farke’s visited them at Norwich City to take in games and Riemer recalls them pointing out the same footballing ideas that they themselves learned under the manager.
“Of course sometimes you have to be more physical, adapt to a direct style – especially in the Championship – but the main idea hasn’t changed a lot,” said the assistant.
Riemer’s role at Leeds, particularly in these first days and weeks at Thorp Arch, will be to help seed Farke’s philosophy in the minds of the Whites squad. Farke himself will be chiming in frequently, even when he’s not leading a particular session on the grass. And then, when the season starts, the coaches will settle into a familiar rhythm.
“The word assistant describes it very well, so basically you are really here to assist Daniel because it’s really 24 hours, busy in all areas,” said Riemer.
“Of course the main thing is the daily work on the pitch with the players. Discussing sessions with the coaching staff, preparing the sessions, working with the lads outside.
“At the beginning of the week you watch which kind of opposition you’re going to meet, discuss the sessions and our training is often set up on our idea of football, I would say 70 to 80 per cent how we want to play. Then you pick exercises and emphasise the main topics, if you need to counter press you can do the same exercise and then focus more on what you need to do against the ball, in transition moments or with the ball. Then you discuss it for each and every session.
“Daniel always wants to get involved, he’s not the type of coach to stand outside and observe, he’s quite often very involved. There are some sessions where he wants to observe more, so I take part more and then often he steps in if he sees something and tries to influence the idea we’re going to play, what we want to do.”
The hope is that Farke’s interjections on the pitch when Leeds set about their promotion bid will be just as influential. In his 2021 chat with Norwich Talk, Riemer could instantly recall an example of the manager’s in-game changes bearing fruit in a 2-0 victory.
“The Wycombe game, away, we struggled a little bit to create chances,” said Riemer.
“Normally we are quite fluent, really flexible, many changes of positions. Sometimes you need to adapt, if they’re that narrow, that tight, that compact. It was more like we just needed a good set-up across the pitch, Daniel changed to a back three, with not that much rotation and this is how we got the goals in the second half and won the game.”
