Don’t talk about my club like that Leeds United star snub international team training fuming after manager comments abt his club
Leeds United: Daniel Farke to be selfishly happy after Anton Stach’s Germany snub
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke may be selfishly happy following Germany’s 2-1 win against Ghana as Anton Stach was left on the substitutes’ bench.
After racking up just over 10 minutes against Switzerland last Friday, midfielder Stach remained an unused substitute as Julian Nagelsmann’s side picked up their second win of the international break.
Joining up with the squad for the first time since Hansi Flick’s 2022 tenure, the Nationalelf boss has been forced into action this term following Stach’s impressive debut season at Elland Road.
While the decision to leave the midfielder on the bench on Monday has sparked criticism in Germany, Whites boss Farke may just be counting his blessings heading into the season’s crunch point.
Leeds face West Ham in a big FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday, with Farke set to have Stach readily available after a full week with no minutes on the pitch.
Daniel Farke to have Anton Stach fit and firing for big FA Cup tie
Since returning from injury against Aston Villa in February, Stach has reclaimed his place in Farke’s side with relative ease – indicative of how impressive he has been since his arrival from Hoffenheim last summer.
Since being called up by Nagelsmann for the ongoing break heading into the World Cup, though, he has found minutes rather hard to come by – surprisingly given Leon Goretzka’s performance last time out.
Stach would replace the Bayern man in the 80th minute, with the 27-year-old playing just over 10 minutes in Basel last Friday, as Florian Wirtz delivered a masterclass in a 4-3 win against Switzerland.
Despite this, Goretzka would start in midfield once again as Germany welcomed Ghana to Stuttgart.
Nagelsmann’s side would battle through, with the visitors more than happy to defend their own box for large parts of the 90, before Deniz Undav netted a late winner.
The venue also potentially played a part in Stach’s snub, with Nagelsmann opting to field all five Stuttgart representatives in front of their home faithful for the latter stages of the second half – meaning that Stach was unlikely to replace the popular Stiller, given that Pascal Gross had already came on for the stuttering Goretzka.
Farke, though, will be somewhat be pleased, with one of his star men now readily available, and chomping at the bit for minutes against West Ham this weekend.
Leeds go into the clash looking to recover their form after a recent stumble, and there would be no better way to do exactly that than by securing a trip to Wembley.
Deniz Undav form paints difficult picture for Anton Stach
Despite Stach’s immense debut year in the Premier League, it is becoming highly unlikely that he will be starting in Germany’s midfield at this summer’s World Cup.
Over the break, boss Nagelsmann has continued to outline how roles have been discussed with players ahead of the tournament – indicating that the current lineup is likely to be the one fielded Stateside this summer.
With only Jamal Musiala and Aleksandar Pavlovic likely to find their way back into the side, Stach may not even have a seat on the plane, something that will continue to baffle both Leeds and German supporters alike.
But, the fortunes of striker Undav are rather telling.
Scoring 23 times in all competitions, the Stuttgart man is the highest scoring German across the continent this term, and has grown into a talismanic figure at the Neckarstadion.
Despite this, Nagelsmann has limited the forward to minutes from the bench – instead opting for the out of form Nick Woltemade, and Kai Havertz, who is similarly yet to build real form since returning from injury.
This decision comes alongside choices to leave out Said El Mala, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Karim Adeyemi and more heading into the summer tournament.
Stach could well be set to be a victim of this, with it remaining uncertain as to whether he will receive a ticket to the USA.
