Inside Leeds United's transformation as Daniel Farke's thrifty £2m spend puts Whites on promotion course - YEP 26/9/23

Leeds United have conceded seven goals in eight Championship games this season, a record bettered only by table-topping Leicester City and in-form Preston North End.

By Joe Donnohue

The Whites’ defensive transformation under Daniel Farke has come about much sooner than many would have anticipated. During 2021/22 when the club escaped relegation from the Premier League by the skin of their teeth, Leeds conceded the second-most goals of any team that season. Defensive issues were not rectified the following year and Leeds went on to concede a further 78 times – the most in the division – succumbing to relegation in the process.

Over the course of Leeds’ two most-recent Premier League campaigns, 157 goals were shipped, making them one of the most porous squads in Premier League history.

After just eight games of the new Championship campaign under manager Farke, though, Leeds are averaging less than one goal conceded per game, goalkeeper Illan Meslier has recorded the joint-most clean sheets in the division and only one side has allowed fewer shots on goal.

While Premier League duo Joe Rodon and Djed Spence have been added on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, the back four – or five, including Meslier – has largely been made up of the same personnel which conceded so frequently in the top flight.

Luke Ayling, Pascal Struijk and Meslier have each played over 600 league minutes this season, ranking among the top five Leeds players by minutes played, while Struijk and Meslier have been everpresents.

Rodon’s arrival has bolstered the back-line, as has Sam Byram’s second stint at Elland Road, but Leeds and Farke have spent less than £2 million on the defensive and goalkeeping positions this summer.

Even still, a combined £1.4 million of that was spent on Spurs loanee Djed Spence, who is yet to start for the club and currently sidelined through injury, and back-up goalkeeper Karl Darlow, yet to make a league appearance since joining in a £400,000 deal from Newcastle United.

Therefore, if it is broadly the same personnel overseeing such a discernible defensive improvement, what has changed? Two things: the division which Leeds are playing in, and the manager.

It would be remiss to credit the 46-year-old and his staff exclusively, as Championship opposition carry a lesser attacking threat than their Premier League counterparts, but the underlying numbers do suggest Farke’s defensive approach is having an impact.

The Whites have conceded seven times; only Preston (6) and Leicester (5) have allowed fewer in the same number of matches.

Leeds have conceded 22 shots on target with Meslier saving 16; only Millwall (21) have allowed fewer shots on their goal this season.

Leeds have also conceded the fewest total shots (79) compared to the rest of the division, and are the only team conceding an average of less than ten per game.

Had Leeds’ Expected Goals Against (xGA) total this season been much greater than their actual goals conceded, it would be disingenuous to applaud the defensive improvement, but that is not the case.

Leeds’ non-penalty xGA stands at 7.5, the third-lowest in the Championship, while Meslier’s save percentage is 72.7 per cent after eight games, which ranks him sixth in the division.

Across the board, Leeds have demonstrated a concerted defensive improvement in every quantifiable aspect of their play. Under Farke, they are restricting the number of high-quality shots their opponent takes, but even when the goalkeeper is called upon, more often than not, he is equal to it.

If this eight-game trend continues for the remainder of the season, which would be some feat it must be said, Leeds would finish the campaign having conceded 40 goals.

Last season, the three promoted teams from the Championship conceded 35, 39 and 39 respectively. The year before, Fulham, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest conceded 43, 39 and 40 respectively, across the 46-game season.

Promotion charges are built on stable defensive foundations which provide a solid launchpad for a team’s attacking players to thrive at the other end of the pitch. While the team got off to a rocky start, they are now six games unbeaten and have gone four matches without conceding a goal.

From a defensive perspective at least, everything suggests foundations are finally being laid.