Leo Hjelde is still getting to know his new boss Daniel Farke, but it’s fair to say he has been impressed with what he has seen so far. Farke met his Leeds United players for the first time last week following the announcement of his appointment last Tuesday and his time on the Thorp Arch training field has been minimal since.
However, with the start of the Championship season fast approaching, it seems he has wasted no time in making an impact on his players. There were glimpses of Farke’s preferred way of playing during the Whites’ meeting with Manchester United on Wednesday evening in Norway, with Leeds looking to play out from the back and counter attack quickly through the likes of Luis Sinisterra and Ian Poveda.
Unfortunately, the manager couldn’t get his time at United underway with a win at Ullevaal Stadion, but it seems he has done enough over his first week in charge to make inroads and get his message across.
“I’m feeling great,” Hjelde said prior to the Whites’ opening pre-season encounter before opening up on his first few days under the German. “I’ve had a week back to the team now so I’m really enjoying it.
Read more: Poveda's statement and Sinisterra positives as Farke's Leeds United lose to Man United in Norway
“[It's been] very tough, I can say that for sure. But it's been very good. He likes to play possession-based and it seems like he knows what he’s doing. It’s just been a week so we're just trying to implement it as much as possible. For sure, we put some ideas to the game and see how it goes.
“We’ve done too much running for my liking, but that’s how it is.”
Wednesday was a special evening for Hjelde as he started for the Whites in the national stadium of his home nation, alongside fellow Norwegian Kristoffer Klaesson. The pair got 45 minutes each and were part of a backline that kept Man United at bay in the first half in front of a large pocket of Leeds fans.
Many of those supporters were Scandinavian who had travelled from far and wide to attend the game and the shirt launch in Oslo the night before.
“For me, it's unbelievable,” he added. “We've got massive support in the whole Scandinavia so just seeing them here and seeing how happy they are to see us, it brings a lot of joy to myself, and I think that my team has the same feeling.”
