Adapt To Anything – Leeds United Star Confident On Formations | OneFootball

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Daniel James believes Leeds United are able to adapt to play any system and feels they have shown that to good effect this season.

Daniel Farke’s side stormed towards the Championship title with a century of points during the 2024/25 campaign, a season largely constructed around the structure and control of a 4-2-3-1 set-up under the German.

Upon returning to the Premier League, however, Farke reshaped aspects of Leeds’ formation on the pitch, introducing a 4-3-3 as he looked to guide the Whites to survival.

The adjustment period initially produced turbulence as the Yorkshire outfit found themselves sitting 18th after 12 league matches, raising concerns surrounding whether the club possessed enough balance to survive.

But a pivotal tactical shift arrived during their trip to the Etihad against Manchester City when Farke altered the structure mid-game into a three centre-back system, something Richard Keys identified as a turning point in the club’s campaign.

Although the Whites narrowly lost against the Citizens, that 3-5-2 system soon became a central feature of their approach as Leeds embarked on a seven-match unbeaten run immediately after that encounter.

Leeds are now sure of their Premier League spot next season, but Farke has been clear they cannot forget the dangers of another campaign in the top flight.

James believes that the Whites are capable of adapting to any tactical formation that Farke wants them to.

He thinks that with the players on the books at Elland Road, there are bound to be more tactical changes in the future, dependent upon which team Leeds are coming up against.

The 28-year-old told Leeds’ official website: “We can adapt to kind of play anything.

“We have obviously played a lot 4-3-3 last year, 4-2-3-1.

“We can obviously play that, 3-5-2 or a lot of different formations.

“Especially with different profiles of players, we will use them a lot more, kind of that ability to adapt in games and also play different depending on the team we are playing, which I thought we have been great at this year.”

Last month, former striker Chris Sutton praised the tactical balance Leeds have developed and the broader transformation they have undergone throughout the campaign.

There have also been suggestions that Farke could lean towards a more possession-orientated structure next season as the Peacocks attempt to further evolve their approach at Premier League level.

But Adam Pope does not believe the current squad have the necessary depth to immediately carry out major tactical changes, even with further additions expected ahead of the summer market.

Before attention fully shifts towards next season, Leeds will first attempt to extend their current seven-match unbeaten sequence and sign off the campaign in style.