Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has revealed how long he has been plotting his radical tactical shake-up that inspired the win over Chelsea.
Daniel Farke was under the cosh at Elland Road as a run of five defeats in six games left his side in the Premier League relegation zone, and him fighting for his job.
However, a statement 3-1 win over title contenders Chelsea, which featured a brilliant goal from Ao Tanaka, breathed new life into Leeds’ season.
Farke inspired the victory by sticking with the 5-3-2 formation, which sparked his side into life in the defeat against Manchester City, led by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha in attack.
Now, Farke has explained how long he has been planning the switch, as he looks to pull off another surprise win against Liverpool.
Prediction time for Leeds United v Liverpool 🔮
Daniel Farke explains when he first planned Leeds United tactical switch
Speaking to Sky Sports on the verge of Leeds’ game against Liverpool, the Leeds boss explained that his side have been practising playing with three central defenders since the summer.
However, the Leeds boss insists that it is not the tactic that has changed Leeds’ fortunes this season, but the way in which his side are approaching the game.
“When we were winning most games [last season], we did not change our base formation much,” the Leeds boss said. “The top teams in Europe and the Premier League always play the same formation.
“But you have to bridge this gap of individual quality; you have to be more flexible. This was clear at the beginning of the season. For that, we have trained a lot in a three-man formation. I knew we were prepared to switch between them in each and every game.”
Predicted Leeds United XI to face Liverpool 🤔
He added: “Of course, it’s the first time that we started with this base formation, if you want to label it in this way, but for me, base formation means nothing. It’s all about the principles and the execution.
“I never put a performance or result down to base formation; otherwise, it would be easy. You play 3-5-2, and you beat Man City or Chelsea. It’s not as simple as that.”
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Stats show Leeds United are more efficient in Farke’s new system
While Farke is within his rights to claim the system is not the reason for Leeds’ dramatic upturn in performance, the evidence from Leeds’ last five games paints a different picture.
In the game against Chelsea, despite having just 29% of the possession, Leeds created their second-highest expected goals tally of the season, with 2.3. They also conceded a total xG against of 0.9, meaning Leeds achieved the second-highest xG differential of the season, with +1.4, according to FBRef.
By contrast, Leeds failed to register a positive differential in any of their previous four games, with their last positive measure coming in the win against West Ham.
| Opponent | Possession | xG | xGA | xG Differential | Actual Result |
| Brighton | 50 | 0.5 | 3 | -2.5 | 3-0 Loss |
| Nottm Forest | 54 | 0.7 | 2.5 | -1.8 | 3-1 Loss |
| Aston Villa | 48 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0 | 2-1 Loss |
| Man City | 39 | 1.5 | 2.6 | -1.1 | 3-2 Loss |
| Chelsea | 29 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 3-1 Win |
Ironically, the only game in which Leeds registered a higher xG differential was in the defeat against Burnley, when they created a net positive xG of 1.9, with 68% of the possession.
These statistics show just how much more potent Leeds are under Farke’s new system. Leeds created more chances against Chelsea with a fraction of the time on the ball. It also enabled them to shut out their top-class opposition with relative ease.
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