Lifetime Leeds memories to be made as Daniel Farke sends FA Cup message to fans

Not in 39 years have supporters seen their club make the FA Cup semi-finals. Fathers, mothers and grandkids have had to listen to the tales of grandparents without having the opportunity to experience it themselves. For a long time, it seemed as though they never would.

Daniel Farke, a self-confessed cup romantic, has provided that and better yet it comes against an old enemy. That 1970 FA Cup final, that has fuelled much of the rivalry between the clubs since, has been branded as one of the most violent games ever played.

It was two years later that Leeds would lift the trophy under the guidance of Don Revie. That remains the club’s only FA Cup triumph but the animosity with Chelsea has remained strong, if not always frequent, ever since. And Leeds will fancy their chances…

Just four days before the semi-final, Chelsea announced the sacking of Liam Rosenior. He lasted just 106 days in the role and Calum McFarlane’s promotion to interim head coach means Leeds will have played against three different Blues managers this season.

Rosenior had clearly lost the players but McFarlane - who did take charge of two games in January after Enzo Maresca was sacked - has little time to get his ideas across for his biggest career moment. Perhaps there will be rejuvenation but there is little evidence to suggest why.

Not only that but there is a sense that the fractures inside the squad might take more than a temporary plaster to fix. Leeds have a number of leaders to lean on but Chelsea have a notable lack of strong and experienced heads.

It’s worth pointing out that Leeds have not lost to their counterparts this season, beating them 3-1 at Elland Road in December before drawing 2-2 at Stamford Bridge in February. Of course this is a one-off game but that has got to count for something.

For most areas of the starting XI, Farke’s selection can probably be predicted. But who he picks to play in front of Lucas Perri in goal will be fascinating. Joe Rodon is a favourite of Farke’s but his shaky return from an ankle injury at Bournemouth casts doubt over a start for him.

Jayden Bogle was taken off for him at half-time having taken a hit to the foot, but he should be fine for Sunday. There is ambiguity over which way Farke will go.

Meanwhile, Anton Stach faces a race against time to be fit for the game. He has not played since injuring his ankle against West Ham United in the last round and had not returned to team training by Thursday.

If he does make the cut it will only be on the bench initially. While Ilia Gruev is out with a meniscus injury for the season, Sebastiaan Bornauw is a doubt with a knock. There is a risk that squad options could be thinned.

The extra tickets handed to Leeds takes their allocation to more than 34,000 for Sunday. But many more are expected to flock to London to soak up the atmosphere for the day, even if they don’t have an entry pass.

Farke has asked the fans to be “loud”, having played a “key” role in this season’s cup run. He added: “They should also be greedy.

“They should try everything in order to make their voices clear and sing out loud and also be proud. And then together with them, we try to work on another magical night.”

One thing is for certain about Leeds; they will never go quietly. Expect the chanting to be sustained, vibrant and dominant as they look to bring a piece of Elland Road down to the national stadium.

London - and Wembley - have not always been the happiest place for Leeds in years gone by. But this is a real chance to change that narrative.

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