Leeds United’s manager, Daniel Farke, believes that Pascal Struijk has undergone a significant turnaround in his career, primarily by introducing greater consistency to his performances.
Farke shared his insights during a pre-match press conference in anticipation of Leeds’ upcoming match against Stoke City. The discussion revolved around Struijk’s development into a team captain at Leeds.
When Daniel Farke arrived at Elland Road in July, Struijk was enduring the most challenging phase of his Leeds career, with the 24-year-old having had a difficult season in the previous year. Jesse Marsch had frequently deployed him as a left-back, a position that had a detrimental impact on his confidence and resulted in a series of errors towards the end of the season.
However, under Farke’s guidance, Struijk has returned to his natural role as a center-back, participating in every minute of every league game and even wearing the captain’s armband in the last two matches.
Farke elaborated on Struijk’s progress, emphasizing that they had discussions during the summer about his consistency, a quality he has successfully incorporated into his game. Farke stated, “When I followed his recent season, he was always there, with only minor lapses in concentration. He cannot afford not to be focused for the full 90 minutes. I spoke to him about the importance of consistency and being switched on. He was self-critical.”
Farke further explained that as a center-back, there is no room for recklessness, and Struijk has adapted well to Farke’s demands. The manager expressed his satisfaction with Struijk’s performance, highlighting his skills with the ball, passing ability, and threat on set-pieces. Additionally, Farke noted that the responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband has been beneficial for Struijk and the team as a whole.
Struijk’s role has become pivotal for Leeds under Farke’s management, as his composure aligns with the style of play adopted by the 46-year-old. While his ball-playing abilities have always been a strong suit, this season he appears to have incorporated more assertiveness into his defensive approach.
Just a year ago, it would have been improbable to consider Struijk as a team captain, but it now appears to be a role that brings out the best in him.