It will take everyone outside Leeds United the next 24 hours to get over their Preston North End defeat. Following
the fervor, enthusiasm, and hope of Saturday’s crushing of Ipswich Town, Boxing Day’s deflation struck like a ton of
bricks.
Outside the bubble, everyone’s emotional hangover will eventually pass before they can all clearly view the league
table, the 22 games left to play, and the opportunities still available to the Whites. There will be no such luxury for
Daniel Farke and his players.
The manager would have been considering what he needs to do to win Friday’s game at The Hawthorns even before
the team coach departed Deepdale. How many
Throughout the course of the last six selections, Farke has only altered one member of his starting lineup. They have
taken 10 of the 18 points that are available in that time. They have only claimed four of the final twelve slots that
were available as of late.
This eleven-man squad could not start every game over the next nine days, as the German had already stated before
the victory in Ipswich. The West Midlands will undoubtedly need to see switches implemented since there were none
between yesterday and last Saturday.
We now know that, barring a miracle in training by Kristoffer Klaesson before Friday night, Karl Darlow is a sure
thing. With Preston’s bench appearance and the 33-year-old’s two EFL Cup starts, it would
But in the two starts he did see in the cup, his passing, kicking, and all-around backfield performance did not instill
confidence. Whether Farke, Nick Hammond, Gretar Steinsson, and Angus Kinnear were correct to position him as
Meslier’s rival will soon be revealed.
Archie Gray has faced difficult days at right-back before—see the travels to Norwich City and Stoke City—but he
bounced back from those setbacks and is optimistic about his chances of doing so again today. The man of the match
on Boxing Day, Liam Millar, gave the teenager a rough time down their flank.
Even though Farke acknowledged that Sam Byram would have only been able to play for 15 to 20 minutes, the
German now has another full-back option for Friday night thanks to his return to fitness. To prevent more injuries,
Djed Spence—who returned from injury less than a month ago—will be considered for rotation as well.
Farke gave the assault a rough time during his press conference yesterday, following the game. In almost every
response, the manager brought up the lackluster performance of his front four throughout the first half.
Could Wilfried Gnonto earn his first start following the disastrous trip to Stoke City at last?
Struijk takes the lead
In the midst of the analysis surrounding Patrick Bamford’s missed penalty against Stoke, Farke made an admission.
At that point in the game, United’s sole option to replace the number nine on their list of players who could take
penalties was a center-back.
Farke like to stick with the players who have begun the game since he dislikes spot-kick substitutions. After
Georginio Rutter’s horrendous miss in the Salford City shootout, Joel Piroe was declared off the field, leaving Farke’s
holding midfielders and defenders as his only alternatives.
It turns out that the center-back in question was Pascal Struijk, even though up until yesterday he had never
attempted a competitive play. And what a peaceful spot-kick. Despite the prevailing unfavorable view of defenders
and dead-ball striking, the captain stepped up and sent Freddie Woodman the wrong way, right in the middle of a
chaotic tempest.
Though it was a significant step, the 24-year-old isn’t going to start taking them ahead of Piroe or Crysencio
Summerville.
Rearranging the pecking order?
Farke was careful to emphasize that Mateo Joseph, not Bamford, was the beneficiary of the decision. Even still, it will
be difficult for onlookers to ignore the sense that the striking hierarchy may be shifting on Elland Road.
This season, the former England international has made 15 appearances off the bench but has not yet scored.
Although Bamford has often been Farke’s first choice when he comes off the bench, it’s difficult to recall the last time
he made an impact on a game in this manner.
As a matter of fact, it has been two and a half years since Bamford was regarded as a reliable starter Leeds could
count on to lead the team with a reliable end product. His momentum has been destroyed by injuries, and now
The concept has finally come to pass, even though Farke might start Bamford in the opening game of the next five
straight. It might not become a trend though. It’s a serious shot in the arm for Joseph.
Farke has frequently praised the England under-20 forward as a diligent worker who is attempting to capture his
attention. Joseph has been a key member of the first team in both training and games, as seen by his omission from
United’s under-21 squad.
Although the former Espanyol forward is still in his raw condition, Boxing Day saw some encouraging moments.
After winning a header in the middle of the park, Joseph received loud applause before contributing.
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