9 Key Decisions For Leeds United Boss Daniel Farke Pre Burnley | OneFootball

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Leeds United return to action after the international break with a clash at Burnley. Despite a solid start for the Whites and Daniel Farke being happy with performances, defeat to Burnley, who are in the Premier League drop zone, would see the Clarets move to within a point of Leeds.

International breaks can be tricky and Farke has admitted he will need to make decisions on which players play late.

Winger Noah Okafor is struggling with his adductor and is a doubt, but goalkeeper Lucas Perri is available again for Farke to select.

We look at Farke’s nine key decisions and thinking points ahead of the Burnley game – match preview here.

Settled lineups and no tinkering

Farke must consider making changes for the Burnley game after naming an unchanged starting lineup for the past four matches. The last time a change was made was for the Fulham clash, when Karl Darlow, Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson came into the starting eleven replacing Lucas Perri, Willy Gnonto and Daniel James from the lineup that held Newcastle to a stalemate.

It has been obvious that Farke likes to stick to a settled lineup as much as possible, avoiding tinkering like the plague. While the philosophy has its merits, equally, it has its pitfalls too.

Now, given the international break and players reporting back late with various strains and extra load, he could have to shuffle his pack.

Laying down a marker and vital three points

The Burnley game is vital for Leeds and Farke to not only lay down a marker, but is also important in terms of establishing themselves as a Premier League side. While the two sides achieved promotion from the Championship last season with 100 points apiece, the differences between the pair have been accentuated by top division football this season.

The Whites are fourth best in the league when it comes to giving up big chances to opposition sides, while the Clarets are 19th for the same statistic.

Leeds have conceded eleven goals across the season, a statistic made all the more impressive if the five conceded against Arsenal are treated as an aberration, while Burnley have let in 15 goals.

Lucas Perri back in?

Perri is now available to come back into the side if selected, Farke has admitted, and there may be an expectation that he starts straight away.

Pulling Karl Darlow, who has been relishing the opportunity, out would be a big call though, especially given he has impressed. Goalkeeper could be the biggest call of the game for Farke.

Jaka Bijol kept waiting?

Jaka Bijol, who was signed in the summer for €22m from Udinese, is yet to make his Premier League debut. Farke has previously stated that he was signed as a mid to long-term part of the project at Elland Road and that “for 80 per cent of the clubs in the Premier League, if you sign a centre-back for £15m, it feels like a project, a fifth or sixth choice centre-back.” What is certain is the very short-term period is over, and Leeds are in the territory of short to medium now.

Leeds might consider themselves unlucky with the defeat against Tottenham Hotspur before the international break with both Spurs goals coming off deflections. Pascal Struijk was the Leeds player the deflections were off both times, but he will consider it harsh if Bijol is handed a start in his place. Farke has to communicate well before making such a swap.

Squad Harmony and first mutterings of unhappiness

Bijol has to play sooner rather than later, if not to justify the financial outlay, then to at least to maintain squad harmony. Bijol and Ao Tanaka voiced their displeasure with their lack of game time to their respective countries’ home media while on international duty. Tanaka has struggled to get back into the starting lineup since the defeat to Arsenal and the Japanese international could possibly be brought in to man-mark the dangerous Jaidon Anthony.

Calvert-Lewin – flattering to deceive?

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has flattered to deceive after his summer switch from Everton. While he has been a hard worker for the team’s cause and has got himself into great goalscoring positions, he has only a goal to show for it while slightly underperforming his xG stats. What gives cause for concern is the fact Calvert-Lewin was the biggest xG underperformer last season and the second biggest in the 2023/24 season. It might be time to give Lukas Nmecha or Joel Piroe a run in the side.

Aaronson – question marks remain over physical side of his game

Brenden Aaronson is yet to get himself on the scoring or assists chart this season, with a prevailing sense that he is struggling with the physicality of the Premier League. Aaronson found it difficult the last time Leeds were in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season too, and Jack Harrison could be brought in to give him a rest. Harrison is more suited to handling the physicality of Burnley which might work out well for Farke in more ways than one with Aaronson having to make a transatlantic round-trip to fulfil his international duties.

Tactical changes

Burnley have not only given up given up big chances as previously mentioned, but they have done that by being open through the centre while also looking shaky from crosses.

Their back five is not adding any solidity, but only contributing to the confusion with defenders unsure of who to pick up in the box. Farke could look to take advantage of that weakness and adopt a more attacking approach from the off, asking his midfielders to make runs into the box while the full-backs push further up the pitch. The wingers on the opposite flank of where the play is occurring could also be asked to attack the box. Sometimes attack really is the best form of defence.

Fatigue and second half of the season

Finally, Farke should look to learn from a rival boss in Arne Slot. Slot acknowledged that by playing the same players in the first half of the season, his starting eleven were running on fumes by March, which contributed to the losses against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Newcastle United