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Daniel Farke says his Leeds United players are showing they believe in what they are being asked to do after they were rewarded for taking the game to Manchester United on Monday.
The Whites recorded their first league victory at Old Trafford since 1981, taking them six points clear of May opponents Tottenham Hotspur, in the only relegation place realistically still up for grabs.
They broke the back of it in a first half where they attacked the home team from the off, taking the lead through two Noah Okafor goals and creating the chances for more.
The final half hour was more fraught, with the Red Devils rallying after a controversial red cad for Lisandro Martinez. The 10 men pulled a goal back through Casemiro’s header, but only one.
“I told them, we travel here to win,” said Farke, whose only previous Premier League away win as Leeds manager was at Wolverhampton Wanderers in September. “Everyone knows it’s a priceless point in our situation, but I told them, ‘Listen, key will be to be brave, to play on the front foot.’
“We had a clear plan what we wanted to do. Let’s execute it in the perfect way but more important was they had this plan in their hearts and souls, and believed in it, and were confident and brave.
“I think this was a key, because if you just come here and try to work on how to be solid and how to make life difficult in terms of creating chance for Man United, then you have no chance. You have to play on the front foot.
“This is also always in our DNA.
“As a promoted side, it’s not that easy to show this in each fixture, but we’ve shown what we’re capable of and everybody put a shift in.”
Farke, who as without the injured Joe Rodon, Anton Stach and Daniel James was delighted with the work ethic and spirit shown by his players after edging through their FA Cup quarter-final at West Ham United on penalties eight days earlier.
“I’ve got great characters,” he said.
“We play on the front foot, Man United, we take it to them and then you win a game of football.
“You have to prepare it from the technical point of view, have to be good on the details, explain the plan, work on it during the training sessions.
“We didn’t allow ourselves one day off in the last days. It was complicated to prepare for it but then you need to somehow try to execute it. You need the players to believe in it and to believe in what you say.
“Somehow they have listened and also believed in what I’ve said. By doing this, they were able to deliver such a performance.”
Leeds have a chance to extend the gap to nine points on Saturday by beating Wolves at Elland Road in the early kick-off. Spurs host Brighton and Hove Albion in the evening kick-off.
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