It is almost one year to the day when the Leeds manager, Daniel Farke, produced the tactical overhaul many observers believe saved his job. That day, Farke abandoned his trusted 4-3-3 when Leeds were 2-0 down at Manchester City and although they lost the game, the 3-5-2 he reverted to was the bedrock for the success that followed. To suggest Farke was under similar pressure going into this game would be a stretch, but without a win in five Premier League games it was not unreasonable to suggest the Elland Road natives were getting slightly restless.
Defeat going into the international break would have firmly extinguished what had been a positive start, with eight points from the first four. So how fitting that with the stakes high once again, Farke’s tactical flexibility which he appears to have developed over the past 12 months laid the platform for a much-needed win for Leeds. His decision to go back to 3-5-2 heading into this meeting with Tottenham led to a largely stalemate opening 45 minutes, with the hosts cancelling out an in-form opponent.
But what happened at half-time was significant. Just like a year ago, Farke changed shape and breathed new life into his side. He switched first to a 4-2-3-1 and then into a 3-4-3, with a mountain of pressure ultimately producing the goal Leeds’ play deserved, as the substitute Noah Okafor’s late strike proved to be the difference.
It was a moment that clearly meant as much to Farke as it did the Elland Road faithful, the German punching the air in delight as his tactical tweaks paid off, with another substitute Harry Wilson the man to tee up Okafor for the winner. It was a successful afternoon for Leeds, who can look ahead with optimism once again after a tricky period. It was important to be tactically spot on against their processes.” Spurs may look back on this as a frustrating afternoon.
They failed to create enough opportunities to trouble a well-organised Leeds side, but they will consider whether a crucial moment as half-time approached could have shifted the momentum firmly their way, with Jayden Bogle perhaps fortunate to avoid a red card. Bogle caught Mathys Tel on the achilles, with replays showing a nasty contact that left the forward unable to continue. A lengthy video assistant referee stoppage led many to assume Bogle would follow Jean-Philippe Mateta in seeing red against the same opposition, but it was deemed the Leeds wing-back did not commit serious foul play.
It later emerged Tottenham will submit a formal complaint to Pro Ref about the decision not to send off Bogle for the challenge. In both halves Spurs’ attacking potency let them down and they never really truly tested James Trafford in the Leeds goal as their bid to win four successive Premier League games for the first time in three years came grinding to a halt. Many games like this can be a problem for us.” There were few clearcut opportunities in the first half, with the Bogle-Tel incident the undoubted talking point.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
