da bet nacional： Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has urged manager Jesse Marsch to stick with a new-look back five for the upcoming Premier League clashes with Chelsea and Arsenal.
The lowdown: Difficult test for Leeds
da dobrowin： The Whites were well beaten by a rampant Manchester City at Elland Road at the weekend when utilising a new system, despite competing with the title-chasers for large parts of the match.
That defeat leaves the Yorkshire club just two points clear of the relegation zone, having played one game more than Everton in 18th.
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Despite the damaging result, Marsch has been urged to stick with the tactical tweak as Leeds prepare for an all-important double-header in their quest to survive in the top flight.
The latest: Whelan endorses back five
Speaking to Football Insider, former Whites attacker Whelan – who is now an employee of the club – has had his say on the formation, believing that it is worth persevering with.
He stated: “I think we need to respect what Arsenal and Chelsea have. I think the five at the back experiment worked for much of the Man City game. We were simply outdone by a team who have far more quality than we do. Against good teams, you get punished – just as City did.
“But looking at the whole game, there were positives to take. We’re going to have to be a solid defensive unit, but also pick our moments going forward as well. You can’t just absorb pressure for 90 minutes.
“We’ve got to ask questions of Chelsea and Arsenal. I liked the five-man system, both offensively and defensively. We got into the 5-4-1 shape really effectively when we lost the ball – and you’ve got to do that to prevent space opening up between the lines.”
The verdict: Needs must
Marsch certainly hasn’t shirked the battle facing Leeds since arriving at the club, and the American – who has historically implemented a 4-2-2-2 formation – has already shown a willingness to adapt to circumstances during his fledgling tenure at Elland Road.
However, the Whites have kept just five clean sheets in 34 matches so far this season, the second-fewest in the top flight after 19th-placed Watford.
That inability to keep opponents at bay has ultimately left Leeds in their precarious situation, and having had more time to work on the new system at Thorp Arch this week in preparation for the meeting with Arsenal on Sunday, Marsch should indeed stick with his guns.
In light of the injuries suffered by Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas, Spanish ace Diego Llorente and 19-year-old defender Charlie Cresswell could be called into the team to make up the defensive unit.
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