Leeds United had a difficult first half on their return to the Premier League this season. The Whites started off the campaign with some promise, but fell off near the mid point.
It took Daniel Farke to make some huge decisions in order to get the team firing again. Leeds were on a losing run, Farke was under pressure and the club was facing a huge fixture schedule. Farke changed the system near the end of the year, going from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2.
Leeds went on a nice run to end last year, and started this year with a lot of promise. The tactical change saw the team get great results against better teams like Chelsea and Liverpool.
Leeds United star opens up on Daniel Farke change
One of the key changes in the Leeds United setup was at the back; Daniel Farke added one more defender to solidify the team. Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk found themselves with a new partner in the back three – Jaka Bijol. The trio formed a really solid partnership and has some really good displays. Rodon has been speaking on the official Leeds United podcast about the change in the middle of the season.
“This season, the boys, the new signings, everyone, we’ve changed system and kind of adapted, and when things are going well, confidence is through the roof. I think that’s credit to everyone involved, turning it around. But we knew it was going to be difficult.
“Having a different role and it benefiting the team has been the most important thing. We were struggling in the fall but I think changing to that system, I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a different challenge, finding myself in different areas. It’s adding more strings.
“This is where we want to be, we’re finding our feet in this league. I feel like we’ve got better every game and I think this team is only going to to grow and hopefully be more succesful.”
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Tactical shift has improved the team
The shift to the back three brought some defensive solidity; Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk got some much needed support in Jaka Bijol. Leeds were able to shutout Liverpool at Anfield and even kept a clean sheet against Fulham. Daniel Farke’s changes gave Leeds the chance to turn around their season, and now they have a real chance at surviving the Premier League this year. If everything goes according to plan, most of the credit belongs to the Leeds boss, who will complete a massive turnaround after being tipped to be sacked even before the season kicked off.
