Conor Coady claims Daniel Farke has brought back something from Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United

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It is clear what Leeds United have tried to do this summer. Adam Underwood, Daniel Farke and Robbie Evans have identified the need for physicality and height among the Leeds squad.

Noah Okafor is about to become Leeds’ ninth addition of the summer. Of those nine, eight are above 6ft, including Okafor, who stands at 6ft 1in. Only Gabriel Gudmundsson is below 6ft, and yet, he is 5ft 11in.

Leeds have looked at last season’s squad and what went wrong last time the club were in the Premier League. They believe that a lack of physical, battle-hardened players was an issue among the players.

Not only are eight of Leeds’ nine signings above 6ft, but seven of the nine have international caps and they are all between the ages of 26 and 28. Conor Coady has been discussing Leeds under Daniel Farke.

• READ MORE: Chris Sutton says Leeds have done something “smart” in the transfer window

Conor Coady believes Daniel Farke is getting Marcelo Bielsa tips

Under Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds were incredibly physical. Not specifically strong, or powerful in the air, but Leeds ran and ran. The team’s fitness levels were through the roof, pundits often predicting burnout.

Last term, Leeds’ technical quality was immense, allowing them to dictate and cruise past Championship teams, ultimately, to the title. That isn’t going to happen this season; they need another way to win.

Coady told Monday Night Club that he believes Farke’s focus on physicality this summer is a sign that the German is taking Leeds back to the Bielsa era, in which Leeds would outrun and overpower opponents.

“I think of Leeds as being physical. Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, they could run all day, their athleticism. Teams that can outrun you, overpower you. It seems like Farke has really bought into the Leeds way,” Coady said.

The stats prove that Leeds completely outran Everton on Monday

There may be some truth to what Coady is saying. On Monday, Leeds outran Everton by more than 5km, and boasted 10 more sprints than The Toffees with a total of 95, compared to Everton’s 85 on the night.

In terms of distance covered per player, four of the top five players on the Elland Road pitch were Leeds players. Anton Stach ran more than anyone, clocking up an impressive 11.7km as Leeds secured a win.

Biggest distances during Leeds v Everton:

Coady’s analysis is not a direct comparison between the fitness of Bielsa’s players and the height and strength of Farke’s new-look side. But there is a similarity in relying on the physique of the players.