Three ways Leeds United can line-up in attack vs Nottingham Forest to ease goalscoring concerns

Leeds United suffered an all-too-familiar fate at Brighton last weekend as a failure to score goals left them vulnerable to defeat. The Seagulls ran out 3-0 winners in the end and Daniel Farke’s side had to wait until the 84th minute to even register a shot on target through Lukas Nmecha.

Goals have been a problem for Leeds this season, with only Wolves and weekend hosts Nottingham Forest scoring fewer than their nine. The Whites have drawn a blank in four of their five away fixtures too, a record that must be improved if they want to remain above the relegation zone.

Recruitment gaps have played their part but until January at least, Farke must work with what he’s got and so long as there are no fitness surprises, he should have a fully fit squad to work with come Sunday. Below are three ways the German can mix things up in attack in a bid to overcome Forest.

Dan James in for counter-attacking pace

With Leeds the away side on Sunday, Farke could look to adopt a more counter-attacking approach and utilise the devastating pace of Dan James. The Welshman has been in and out of action due to an ankle injury but got half an hour under his belt at Brighton.

In this instance, James would replace Brenden Aaronson on the right with himself and Noah Okafor tasked with getting as close to Dominic Calvert-Lewin as possible for when Leeds spring attacks. The No.9’s link-up play has been impressive so far but he’s largely been isolated, especially away from home, something a more attack-minded right-winger could help with.

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Leeds could then deploy a more robust midfield trio of Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff to absorb pressure, with the latter also given freedom to rush forward when counter-attacks are sprung. Of course, James needs to rediscover his form from last season to have a notable impact, something he’s struggled with so far.

Willy Gnonto returns to add craft

Alternatively, Farke might fancy his side to dominate possession against a Forest side low on confidence and off the back of a Thursday-evening Europa League trip to Sturm Graz in Austria. Leeds have gone away from home and taken the initiative in games against the likes of Wolves and Burnley already, albeit with differing levels of success, but the added craft of Willy Gnonto could help.

With Gnonto on the right and Okafor on the left, Leeds have two intelligent and creative wingers, both of whom can drift inside, allowing the likes of Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson to overlap. Depending on how dominant Farke wants to be, he could even include Ao Tanaka in midfield to dictate things from a more central area.

Neither Okafor nor Gnonto are the kind of wingers to make runs in behind, however, which could mean Leeds playing in front of a compact and comfortable Forest defence. That could see someone like Longstaff or Tanaka tasked with getting beyond Calvert-Lewin, even if it is just to stretch the opposition.

Formation change and a big focus forward

This would be a more extreme option and not necessarily typical of ‘realistic pessimist’ Farke, particularly away from home, but he could return to a 4-2-3-1 formation and bring in a more attacking No.10. Aaronson would add energy and run directly at Forest’s defence, while someone like Joel Piroe could drift into space and play off Calvert-Lewin, almost as a second striker.

Such a decision would need Leeds to be incredibly solid in their defensive-midfield pivot, with Ampadu a shoe-in while someone like Stach would have to play like he did at Hoffenheim, rather than the more box-to-box role he’s enjoyed in West Yorkshire so far. The lack of bodies in midfield could also stifle the full-backs, with Bogle and Gudmundsson having to be a little more considered going forward.

Overall this is certainly the most unlikely option for Farke but with goals so desperately needed, it’s all about finding the right balance. It could instead be an option the Whites boss turns to in-game if Leeds are chasing goals at the City Ground.