JUST IN: Farke makes repeat of past mistakes in Leeds defeat as analysis from 10 games lost by Leeds including PL promotion crash down shows Daniel Farke is actually not getting something’s at Leeds.
Last season, eight of Leeds United’s 10 league defeats came by a single goal, often against teams that sat back and defended. Burnley adopted a similar strategy at Elland Road, with more quality on the counter-attack, and never appeared to be in much danger.
Mateo Joseph had an early chance, which he should have converted, following a defensive error. Wilfried Gnonto was the only Leeds player to create a real chance, stemming from good play. Meanwhile, Manor Solomon felt they deserved a first-half penalty, though it was a contentious decision, with Aidy White suggesting the referee made the right call.
**Farke Repeats Past Mistakes in Leeds Defeat**
Apart from their cagey game against West Brom, Leeds has generally played with higher intensity this season compared to the last. Against Portsmouth, they could have easily scored more had they been more clinical, and their win over Sheffield Wednesday showed flashes of incisive play. They were also patient but creative in the victory over Hull City. However, Burnley, the first team to sit back and ask Leeds to break them down, presented a challenge Leeds couldn’t overcome.
Even in the final minutes of added time, Leeds was still passing sideways and backward at the back. While Farke could point to the lack of a proper number 10, some of the blame lies with his tactics. Throughout the first half, Junior Firpo found himself open on the flank, but his calls for the ball were often ignored, or it took so long for the pass to reach him that Burnley had time to close him down.
Ilia Gruev, Pascal Struijk, and Joe Rodon completed over 78 passes each, mostly between themselves. It seemed clear that this was part of Farke’s strategy to draw Burnley out, but Burnley didn’t take the bait and defended Leeds’ attacks with ease.
In games like this, Farke needs to encourage his players to take more risks with the ball; otherwise, more frustrating results are likely. One key takeaway from this defeat is that the partnership between Gruev and Ethan Ampadu doesn’t work.
**Farke’s Substitutions Miss the Mark**
Farke has faced criticism for his substitutions at Leeds before, and once again, his decisions were puzzling. Leeds clearly needed a burst of pace in the final third, yet Largie Ramazani was only given about 10 minutes. Despite not being able to finish his chances, Ramazani quickly showed how his speed could have caused problems with a darting run through the middle.
Joel Piroe is a solid option to bring off the bench when chasing a goal, but it’s ineffective when there’s no space in the final third and no creativity to support him.