“What’s game management?” Michael Carrick asked, and the question was entirely rhetorical.
It was half an hour after Middlesbrough’s defeat to Leeds United on Saturday and in the post-match press conference, Carrick was being quizzed about some of his team’s decision-making. Should Middlesbrough have managed parts of a wild contest differently? Had structural issues been a factor in the result?
“In a stadium like this, against a team with individuals like Leeds, they can cut through you and have moments,” Carrick replied. Perhaps game management could have been better but with the best will in the world, sometimes it makes no difference. “You’ve got to respect what they do,” he said, and most of the Championship seem to.
There was the dilemma caused by playing Leeds this season. Do you willingly concede the ball, knowing that they are coached to play with as much possession as possible? Or do you get on the front foot, knowing that they have tricks up their sleeve without it too? Elland Road has seen far more of the first tactic from visiting teams this season, the model of tight and compact defending. Middlesbrough, to Carrick’s credit, tried to adopt the second but, for now, neither philosophy is working. Leeds are unbeaten at home, with seven wins in a row behind them.
Back in June, when Daniel Farke first explained to Leeds’ hierarchy how the club would play under him, much of what he spoke about revolved around intentional dominance of the ball, and he has been as good as his word. United, with him as manager, retain 57 per cent possession on average and peaked at more than 74 per cent away at Rotherham United last month.
The graphic below, showing average positions against Middlesbrough at the weekend, gives an impression of how high up the pitch Leeds often are. But in tandem with that, they have become the most transitionally dangerous team in the Championship, with counter-attacks built on precision, triggers and no end of drilling at Thorp Arch. That is what Carrick was getting at: Leeds are coached to threaten with the ball and without it, and have the talent to do both.
The club’s recruitment for this season brought in players who are comfortable in possession, not least in the key build-up area between the centre of Farke’s defence and the centre of his midfield. But where Farke has optimised the hand he was dealt is by exploiting the pace in a squad which is not short of rapid footballers. Some sides in the Championship do not counter-attack to any notable degree. Leicester City and Ipswich Town, in exceptionally strong positions in the division’s top two, are fairly average performers in that respect. But for Leeds and Farke, it is a core part of their mindset.
The amount to which United try to catch teams on the break is shown by the following graph, detailing the number of direct attacks teams in the Championship are carrying out. A direct attack, according to Opta’s definition, starts in a side’s defensive half and results in either a shot or a touch inside the opposition’s box within 15 seconds.
Plymouth Argyle have marginally outperformed Leeds with 3.6 direct attacks per 90 minutes but Farke’s team are right behind with 3.4. And given the make-up of the squad at Leeds, containing four quick wingers in Dan James, Crysencio Summerville, Willy Gnonto and Jaidon Anthony, the tactic makes obvious sense. Additionally, a pacy No 9 in Georginio Rutter is playing a major role.
United, after 19 matches, have compiled more fast breaks or counter-attacks than any club in the Championship, a total of 27. Only two other teams, Plymouth and Blackburn Rovers, have registered more than 20 and Leicester and Ipswich stand on 14 and 11 respectively. Leeds’ transitional quality is paying off. Their tally of 22 chances created from those breakaways is also the Championship’s highest. They and Blackburn have the most goals from counters, with six apiece. The two clubs can compare notes on the pitch when they meet at Ewood Park this Saturday.
So given that United are not just countering off the cuff, what are they doing to make transition work so well for them?
Their first goal against Middlesbrough gave a good outline of Farke’s idea, even though the break preceding it did not directly yield the goal itself. Leeds’ first attempt was cleared off the goal line by Boro and it was a build-up of pressure via two more efforts which allowed Dan James to nod in a header. But the break from deep was responsible for the creation of chaos, and it was textbook in the way Farke sets Leeds up to react in transition.
Middlesbrough, in a counter-attacking sense, are where Leeds want them when Joe Rodon steps up to intercept a pass into United’s box…
Pascal Struijk collects the loose ball and feeds Glen Kamara, an initial pass which is, in effect, the trigger Leeds use to spark the counter-attack. Summerville is turning to burst forward, already alive to what will happen. Leeds are about to spring the trap…
The next pass from Kamara into Summerville’s path lets the winger take possession on the run, exactly as he likes to. Summerville and Rutter are the two players most involved in Leeds’ counter-attacking, and the former has been Leeds’ biggest threat going forward all season…
What develops is a trademark aspect of United’s counters this season: runners spread across the field, creating passing options and forcing opposition defences to fight fires on different fronts. Summerville picks out James on the right but could as easily have gone for Rutter’s sprint towards the other flank. From here, Middlesbrough are in big trouble and will eventually concede amid mayhem in and around their area…
James has come good for Leeds this term, scoring and assisting in respectable numbers. His second goal of the season came through a breakaway against Huddersfield Town, one which relied on many similar principles.
In defensive moments, especially at set pieces, Leeds are not afraid of dropping back in numbers. In a counter-attacking sense, it is a good ploy: tempting opponents to feel more secure than they are and to commit bodies themselves. United’s opener in a 4-1 win over Huddersfield on October 28 started with them facing a corner. As Sam Byram heads it out, Rutter is the only member of Farke’s line-up in a position to collect it, a short distance outside the box…
But as before, that handover of possession to Leeds is the trigger for an immediate counter. Summerville spots Rutter moving to collect it and instinctively accelerates into space on the left wing…
Rutter’s chipped pass over the top repeats the scenario Middlesbrough faced: attacking players using the width of the field and making it difficult for Huddersfield to know who to chase most aggressively…
Town’s defensive structure is shot and Joel Piroe weakens it further with a dummy run, inviting Summerville to lay the most sensible pass off to James…
James sizes the goal up and bangs an 18-yard finish in, the end of a break which took 12 seconds from Rutter’s initial pass…
Comparing both goals with exhibit three — United’s winner at Norwich City earlier in October — leaves little doubt about the extent to which Farke is working on these opportunities in training. The following images are from the 85th minute at Carrow Road, with Leeds and Norwich level at 2-2. When Norwich go to swing a free kick into United’s box, every single one of Farke’s players is deep behind the ball. Norwich look defensively safe…
Patrick Bamford gets to the delivery and clears it with a header. Rutter is on hand to collect again and, as he always seems to do, Summerville spots the trigger…
The gap on the left flank is huge and Rutter’s pass finds Summerville tearing into it…
Other Leeds players read the move and United have a wide, three-pronged attack against a backtracking Norwich defence…
Although Norwich are present in numbers, they have no organisation as Summerville bursts towards the box…
In the end, the winger is presented with two great options: finish himself, which he does clinically, or slip a pass out to Willy Gnonto who is completely unmarked. Norwich are not getting out of this hole…
Over time it stands to reason that opposition teams and analysts will pick up on Leeds’ counter-attacking traits and the methods they use in breaking from back to front, but negating that strength is not easy. It is not as if Leeds struggle against sides who sit deep or struggle to score in open play generally. Including Piroe’s penalty against Middlesbrough on Saturday, only six of their goals have come from set pieces.
It is like Carrick said: Leeds will hurt you if you go on the front foot, and hurt you if you don’t. Place your bets.
Additional reporting: Thom Harris
(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)
