Beren Cross
Goals are the order of the day for Leeds United as they host struggling West Ham United at Elland Road. After largely favouring a 4-3-3 for the past few weeks, a 4-2-3-1, as they started with on Tyneside, is the direction I would go in.
The weekend clean sheet was welcome, but Leeds need to put the Hammers away and really get this second phase of the campaign going. I would make two changes to Saturday’s starters.
Illan Meslier, of course, retains the gloves, while Robin Koch, Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk remain undisturbed by Max Wober for at least one more match. Luke Ayling struggled at Newcastle United, so a fresher Rasmus Kristensen regains the reins on the right flank.
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Marc Roca and Adam Forshaw is a tight call. The former has the 2022/23 pedigree, but has recently failed to catch the eye for the right reasons, while Forshaw is slowly, but surely, getting sharper.
Roca made a lot of tackles in 45 minutes on Saturday, but assuming Forshaw is fit to start, I like the way he has been using possession in recent weeks and gets the nod. Brenden Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto and Rodrigo remain the most consistently effective forwards in the squad and must continue on Wednesday.
Jack Harrison, unfortunately, followed the trend he set in the weeks leading up to the World Cup break when he returned on Saturday. Crysencio Summerville has had four more days of training his legs to sharpen up and he looked bright from the bench at St James’ Park.
Beren’s XI: Meslier; Kristensen, Koch, Cooper, Struijk; Forshaw, Adams; Summerville, Aaronson, Gnonto; Rodrigo.
William Jackson
The arrival of Max Wober got me thinking about Leeds’ defensive options and how the backline can be maximised. As such, while Wober won't be available to face West Ham, I’m going to mix it up ever so slightly this week in preparation for his arrival into the starting XI.
I’d make a slight tweak to the system and go with a formation that resembles a 5-4-1 out of possession, but can quickly morph into a 4-2-3-1 when on the ball. As such, with Rasmus Kristensen and Pascal Struijk at wing-back, I’m opting for three centre-backs, with Luke Ayling, Robin Koch and Liam Cooper all getting a start.
Now, stick with me. This five-at-the-back system can be tilted when in possession, with Ayling moving across to the right to cover the space in the event of a counter, while Kristensen bombs forward and becomes Leeds’ chief attacking threat down the right, as he loves to do.
Struijk isn’t quite as comfortable going forward, but the system doesn’t require him to make a habit of it, with the man on the left side of the midfield four being able to migrate out to the wing. In the coming weeks, this could be Wober’s role, with Struijk moving inside to play as a left-sided centre-back alongside the new arrival.
In this instance, the midfield two of Tyler Adams and Sam Greenwood can provide balance, while Crysencio Summerville can move to the left and Brenden Aaronson can push up centrally into his more familiar advanced role when in possession. I’ve gone with Greenwood for the visit of West Ham, after failing to be convinced by Adam Forshaw or Marc Roca at St James’ Park.
Summerville offered something different when he entered the fray in the North East and therefore I’d give him a run out over Jack Harrison, who looked off the pace against the Magpies. Wilfried Gnonto has been overlooked in the name of rotation, having played a lot of minutes over the last week or so.
Rodrigo gets the nod to start up front once more, but he must do more to prevent himself from being cut off and isolated. There’s a few moving parts and it would require positional discipline, but it’s a system that could utilise the strengths of several key men in the weeks and months to come.
Will’s XI: Meslier; Kristensen, Ayling, Koch, Cooper, Struijk; Aaronson, Adams, Greenwood, Summerville; Rodrigo.
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