This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Leeds have a problem with their strikers at the moment.
Patrick Bamford hasn’t scored in any of his previous nine league games, while it seems that Marcelo Bielsa isn’t fully sold on Eddie Nketiah’s abilities to fit into his system.
For the time being, the manager is continuing to persevere with Bamford, but there may be a way to get both men into the team.
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Bielsa’s desire
The manager revealed in his press conference on Thursday that he’s considering a way to get both Bamford and Nketiah in the same XI by playing one behind the other.
This is a tactic that has been hyped up, but nobody has yet given an explanation as to how this system would work, and which players would have to be dropped for this to happen.
After all, Bielsa has stated in the past that a lack of training time in between matches has meant he hasn’t been able to try out the pair together.
A viable tactic
This is a real conundrum to create a viable system that would allow both Bamford and Nketiah to play together.
Firstly, you have to look at where the two players’ strengths lie. Nketiah’s are in his finishing, and Bamford’s are in his work off the ball.
Therefore it would make sense for Bamford to be the one playing behind Nketiah.
However for that to happen someone else in the team must lose their spot, and it’s hard to say who that should be.
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Mateusz Klich would be the prime candidate as he’s usually Leeds’ most advanced central midfielder, but he’s started every league game since Bielsa arrived so he’s clearly important to the system.
Phil Hay has previously pointed out that Leeds are trying to play through the middle more often this season.
Therefore, the solution may actually come in opting to move into a narrower formation by dropping one of his favourite players in the ever-present Jack Harrison, and this is how they could lineup when everyone is fit and available.
Pablo Hernandez could be utilised as a number 10, while Bamford plays as a second striker behind Nketiah.
The wing-backs would provide the width going forward as both Stuart Dallas and Ezgjan Alioski can play in the midfield as well as at the back, and the players would be used to playing in that role as Bielsa utilised wing-backs when he uses the 3-3-1-3 formation.
Of course, this tactic could be modified to a three at the back when Leeds come up against a team utilising two strikers as one of the midfielders could make way for Gaetano Berardi.
Either way, it might go a long way to finally resolving their problems in front of goal.
