Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has exposed a worrying weakness in his side, giving future opponents a blueprint to beat the Whites this season.
Farke’s team suffered only their second league defeat of the season on Saturday, when Bournemouth beat them 2-0 at the Vitality Stadium.
Leeds thought they had the lead early in the game when Dominic Calvert-Lewin put the ball in the back of the Bournemouth net. However, VAR overruled it as the Whites striker handled the ball before it went in.
James Trafford’s error handed the home side the lead, and Leeds’ reaction to going down exposed a worrying weakness that even Farke acknowledged.
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Daniel Farke makes worrying Leeds admission
Farke feels the opening goal changed the game as it allowed Bournemouth to sit back and be compact, and conceded that Leeds do not have the individual quality to break down a team happy to play on the back foot.
He stressed that Leeds will have to improve their set-piece delivery, as that’s one route to scoring against teams prepared to defend deep.
“It was an own goal; we were 1-0 down, and this was decisive”, he told reporters after the game.
“They had problems in the beginning sitting with us. After they went up 1-0, they could concentrate on sitting really deep.
“To open a very good and really well-structured Premier League side, one of the best at defending, six clean sheets in a row, perhaps we don’t have the individual quality for a moment of magic.
“Set-piece delivery was perhaps not spot on. We can be better there. We can be a bit more brutal. It’s something we will address a bit more this week.”
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Farke needs to find a solution
Daniel Farke must find a solution to Leeds United’s creativity problems before they become a serious threat to their Premier League campaign.
The lack of invention in the final third was once again evident against Bournemouth, where Leeds struggled to create meaningful chances and managed just one shot on target. Too much responsibility is falling on individual players, while the attacking combinations and movement needed to unlock stubborn defences have been missing.
Farke cannot keep expecting Dominic Calvert-Lewin to make something happen without giving him sufficient support. Whether that means changing the system, adjusting player roles or bringing in fresh attacking quality in January, something has to change. Leeds need more imagination and conviction going forward.
