Daniel Farke urged to play reluctant Leeds United card against West Brom as underlying weakness exposed
Daniel Farke likes his Leeds United side to dominate possession and, consequently, matches, but the German has already hinted at potentially accepting a different sequence of events against West Bromwich Albion this weekend.
Leeds host the Baggies on Saturday lunchtime and can move 10 points clear of third place with victory at Elland Road due to the fact Burnley are in FA Cup action this weekend and do not contest their next Championship fixture until Tuesday evening.
United have taken things game-by-game this season, vanquishing opponent-after-opponent, particularly on home turf where the Whites have recorded 14 wins from 17 - two more than any other team - and just one defeat.
Leeds haven't beaten this weekend's opposition in their last three attempts, however, with Farke having to settle for two draws and a loss against West Brom since taking the Elland Road job.
Earlier this season, Leeds looked second best and on the back foot for large spells at The Hawthorns but have found their rhythm as the campaign has progressed. West Brom have lost head coach Carlos Corberan to Spanish top flight strugglers Valencia since then and replaced the former Leeds assistant with Tony Mowbray, who has the team playing more of an attacking, possession-based game.
Throughout his time in the Championship, Corberan was celebrated for his pragmatic football which almost saw Huddersfield Town promoted to the Premier League on a limited budget. At The Hawthorns, the Spaniard performed similarly, securing a spot in the play-offs last season before bowing out to Southampton at the semi-final stage.
Mowbray has returned to the game after taking a sabbatical for health reasons and was earlier this season given the all-clear, much to the delight of the British footballing community.
Already, the experienced manager's 'handwriting' - as Farke puts it - has been reflected in the Baggies' performances. During his eight games at the helm since being appointed midway through January, West Brom have increased their attacking output.
Over the course of the season, the Baggies have averaged 1.29 xG (Expected Goals) per game, but under Mowbray, that has gone up to 1.61. It would be safe to assume an uptick in attacking output might come at the expense of a less secure defensive setup, but so far that is not the case.
Mowbray's West Brom average 1.04 xGA (Expected Goals Against) over their eight league matches so far, which is identical to their season average.
"I like Tony Mowbray's handwriting, he goes offensive," Farke said during his pre-match press conference. "It feels a bit like he loves them to play football and unleashes them a little bit and they're enjoying it. They've dominated possession like no other team in the last games. Lots of experience. Many high quality individuals and are able to dominate. There with more than 60 per cent possession in his games. He always stands for attacking, being good with possession. I really like it. We have to be on it, especially against the ball."
Additionally, West Brom have registered 2.0 xG or more in six games this season, three of which have been since Mowbray took charge.
Farke has already acknowledged his team may not have it all their own way at Elland Road this weekend, but that hasn't necessarily been a problem this season, particularly in terms of possession.
On average, Leeds see 61.4 per cent of the ball every game this season - the highest in the Championship. They are unbeaten in the league whenever they have had less than their average, including recently at Watford where the Hornets had 60 per cent of the ball, but Leeds scored 100 per cent of the goals in a comprehensive and clinical four-nil victory.
The Whites have won 13 and drawn five of their games when enjoying less than their average possession. Even in the 7-0 dismantling of Cardiff City at the beginning of February, Leeds only had 57 per cent of the ball, despite what was an utterly dominant display.
Tellingly, the Baggies have won just one of their eight Championship fixtures this season when having more than 61 per cent of the ball, four of which have been under Mowbray.
On the whole, Farke has been reluctant to indulge too much in victories where Leeds have had less of the ball than he would ordinarily like. The 48-year-old bristled ever so slightly after his team's 4-0 win at Vicarage Road, agitated by his players' use of the ball, even if their counter-attacking was ravishing.
Broadly speaking, seeing less of the ball than usual against West Brom could be the answer to extending the team's current run to 17 matches unbeaten in the league.