Should Leeds United boss Thomas Christiansen consider switching to a system that uses three at the back?
After three defeats in their last four Championship games, Thomas Christiansen would be forgiven for questioning whether his Leeds side should adopt a new system after the international break.
The 4-2-3-1 formation served Leeds well early on, but their more recent form suggests that they need to have other systems up their sleeve if they hope to be in the promotion mix come the end of the campaign.
English football’s latest craze appears to be formations that include a back three and wing-backs, and it could certainly be argued that Leeds have the options to play a 3-5-2 from time to time, as the following shows…
Firstly, following Felix Wiedwald’s difficult spell between the sticks, Andy Lonergan gets the nod in this lineup due to the fact that he is a much more proven stopper at Championship level – which may be beneficial while Leeds try to bounce back.
But in terms of players crucial to the system, the back three consists of Matthew Pennington, Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper. With Jansson having to be substituted against Sheffield Wednesday, someone like Conor Shaughnessy would also suit this system given his quality with the ball at his feet if he was required.
Luke Ayling could also come into the middle, but right wing-back may be a good role for the former Bristol City man, given his desire to get down the line and offer support in attack.
On the other flank, it may be a slightly more difficult decision. Stuart Dallas is perhaps the most defensively-minded winger in the squad, but Gjanni Alioski has played at left wing-back previously and is probably too good and too creative to leave out.
Further forward, Kemar Roofe has impressed up front at times and pairing him with another striker could be the key to bringing the very best out of him, so playing him alongside Pierre-Michel Lasogga could be a masterstroke, especially with Samu Saiz playing just behind and pulling the strings as he so often does.
Should Leeds consider changing their system and which system should they use?
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