Leeds United needed a late goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin to salvage a point against Brentford away in the Premier League on Sunday.
The result extends Los Blancos’ unbeaten run to three matches following a 3-1 win over Chelsea and a 3-3 draw against Liverpool, both at Elland Road, in the previous two matches.
Daniel Farke’s side have excelled in the new 3-5-2 system, used for the first time against Chelsea from the start, and the manager will learn more about how his players adapt to it with each game.
For example, Wilfried Gnonto’s appearance against Brentford suggests it might be worth trying him in a new right-back position.
Why Wilfried Gnonto should play as a winger
The Italy U21 international was introduced as a substitute in the 73rd minute to return to the 4-3-3 formation, with Jayden Bogle moving to right back and Gnonto playing on the right wing.
However, it could be worth using the Italian’s talents in a right-back role in future matches, perhaps against teams in which Leeds are expected to have more possession than against Chelsea and Liverpool, due to the quality he can provide.
In 73 minutes as a winger, Bogle failed to create a single “big chance” for the team, according to Sofascore, before Gnonto created a “big chance” to assist Calvert-Lewin with a brilliant ball into the box.
Now imagine the former Inter starlet being able to regularly put crosses like that into the box as a winger. This could be a position that allows him to get a lot done, while also giving him additional responsibilities on the defensive end to help him develop the off-possession side of his game.
With this potential adjustment in mind, center back Jaka Bijol may already be on ice in this new lineup after his disappointing performance against Brentford.
Why Jaka Bijol may be on ice
The £15m summer signing from Udinese was one of the biggest winners from the formation change as it created an extra centre-back position to allow him to slot in between Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk.
Bijol had a nightmare for Brentford’s first goal, as he first played through Rico Henry by failing to intervene, then failed to clear the ball from danger and, crucially, left his boot to deflect Jordan Henderson’s shot past Lucas Perri.
It was far from a completely dismal performance, despite those errors on goal, as he performed well against in-form centre-forward Igor Thiago for most of the match. Journalist Beren Cross even pointed out that he “toughened Thiago” in the first half.
Bijol won six of his ten duels, according to Sofascore, while Thiago, who has scored 11 Premier League goals this season, lost 15 of his 21 duels in the match, showing he performed well with Brentford’s star man.
However, his miscues on goal and Gnonto’s potential as a winger could see him on thin ice and potentially left out of the starting lineup, as it would allow Joe Rodon to play center, with Jayden Bogle as the right center back.
Bogle could play as a right-back in possession, supporting Gnonto, and as a right centre-back out of possession, making Leeds’ new system a little smoother than it has been in recent games.
|
25/26 First League |
round |
Biol |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
16 |
7 |
|
Goals |
2 |
1 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
1.9 |
2.6 |
|
Dribbling per match |
0.3x |
0.4x |
|
Clearances per match |
6.3 |
5.0 |
|
Blocks per game |
0.6 |
0.1 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
69% |
62% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
55% |
54% |
|
Statistics via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, Rodon has outperformed Bijol in most defensive parameters this season, suggesting he might be more suited to playing as a central defender, tasked with the majority of the defense in the back three.
Moving Rodon into the middle, with Pascal Struijk on the left and Bogle on the right, could make Leeds more solid, thanks to the Welshman’s safety in defense, and fluid, thanks to Bogle’s flexibility, which could improve the team as a whole.
The AC Milan player is now ‘ready to go’ with Leeds, one of two clubs who can sign him
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Therefore, Bijol’s mistake combined with Gnonto’s impressive appearance could leave Farke with an important decision to make for the Slovenian’s place in the starting lineup.
