'Slow' - Daniel Farke on Leeds United base formation change, Harrogate verdict and Germany plan — YEP 20/7/24

By Lee Sobot

Leeds enjoyed a 3-0 win at Harrogate Town in their summer’s first public pre-season friendly.

Daniel Farke has explained the reasons behind Leeds United’s ‘base’ formation change in Friday’s 3-0 victory at Harrogate Town - and the chances of the Whites keeping it.

Farke predominantly lined Leeds up in a 4-2-3-1 system last season but it became apparent from the outset of Friday’s friendly in Harrogate that United were playing with three at the back.

Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and youngster James Debayo formed a three-man centre-back axis, flanked by wing backs Junior Firpo and Dan James and behind a two man centre midfield of Joe Rothwell and Ilia Gruev.

Mateo Joseph, Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter then formed a front three in which Rutter played slightly deeper as a no 10 as Joseph and Piroe linked up as a two-man striker pairing.

The Whites took just 12 minutes to go ahead through a close range Firpo strike and then added two more goals after the break in which the new formation stayed the same despite multiple personal changes.

Goals from Rutter and youngster Sam Chambers completed a 3-0 victory on the eve of United’s departure to Germany for a pre-season training camp featuring friendlies played behind closed doors.

Speaking post match, Farke said his side would now need a day of recovery after their exertions on a hot evening in Harrogate as the boss assessed his side’s display and explained the formation change.

Speaking post match, Farke said: “Overall it's always good when you win a game in pre-season, sometimes even against the teams from the lower ties. You can't take it for granted. Sometimes, especially in pre-season, there is a surprising result. A clean sheet is also good.

"Overall, the game in the first half looked a bit as if it would be a pre-season game and as if it would be a very hot day I have to say so. We looked a bit slow in our passing and also a bit slow in the head, it was not great.

"But this is pre-season, we have trained a lot in the last two and a half weeks, the players are obviously also a bit tired so tomorrow we have to travel to Germany for the training camp but also just a recovery day.

“They need that a little bit, not time off but after this game today at least a day to recover a little bit because we looked not really sharp and refreshed anyhow. But also it was an important test. We tried also to play with a different base formation and also we are a bit forced in that obviously a few players are missing.

"But it's also important to have this experience under our belt and overall, a great day for the supporters, for the families and many kids around so they could get an autograph. This was also quite important today.”

Pressed on whether the new shape would be something that he would set out from the start of next season, Farke reasoned: "In general we have changed a few times, also in the last season to three at the back but a bit more during the game.

“I got the feeling after many years with many coaches and different set ups and different scenarios that it would be beneficial for this group to give a bit more stability and to stick a bit more to a base formation, especially once we started the game.

"But obviously it is also one of our targets this year to be a bit more flexible in terms of changing because right now we are working since one year together.

"The players know the principles and this was one of the topics also for pre-season, that we are  a bit more safe in our positioning once we change formation. It is definitely one of the topics, yes."