What can you tell us about Leeds? Beren Cross, The Athletic

A trip to Elland Road is up next on Saturday (12.30pm), so step up Beren Cross, Football Write and Leeds United correspondent at The Athletic, for his views on Daniel Farke's team.

What have you made to Leeds' start of the season?

Beren: “Overall, it's been really, really good. I think coming into the season, the great fear was, 'would there be second season syndrome?' Around this time last year, there was a lot of pressure on Daniel Farke and Leeds and it felt like they were starting to fade away a little bit, maybe slipping into that newly-promoted territory of struggling, a tradition that we've seen in recent years. However, as you've referenced in a later question, Farke switched to three centre-backs in late November last year and since then it's been pretty remarkable, to be honest. So, he came into this season with a lot of momentum from last season - and it's where you sit on draws, really. Leeds have only lost twice, but they've only won twice and there are five draws in those nine games. Two weeks ago, people were feeling very, very optimistic and very, very positive, but I just think after the last two games, Sunderland and Bournemouth, it's now five games without a win and that existential anxiety that supporters have is inevitably creeping in. I just think it important to remember the context of yes, it's only two wins in nine, they haven't won since September 14th, they're struggling for goals a little - it's two goals in the last five games - but there's also two clean sheets in that spell and they are competitive in every game. That is the crucial thing. The results from afar, you can spin them either way and there can be concerns drawn from them, but if you're watching them every week, as I have, they are competitive in every game and any one of those draws or losses even could have gone either way. Arsenal were deservedly trailing to Leeds past the hour mark at the Emirates - the champions. Leeds were playing really, really well there. Even at Bournemouth on Saturday, past the half-hour mark, Bournemouth flying high, red hot form, but Leeds were a bicep away from a very good team goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin (a goal for 1-0 was ruled out for VAR for handball) and then James Trafford had a complete howler, it just changes the rhythm of the game completely and ultimately they come away from that game with a 2-0 defeat. So, broadly speaking, it's been a very, very good start but there is just a degree of anxiety now about that need for that third win of the season."

Has Daniel Farke tweaked anything tactically?

Beren: “Well, as I mentioned, it was Manchester City away in late November last year when Leeds switched to, at that point, a 5-3-2, which became more of a 3-5-2 and now a 3-4-2-1 is pretty much what they've settled into for a long time now. There haven't been a huge amount of tweaks since going to a 3-4-2-1. The most unconventional thing, which has become a bit more normalised now, is that either Joe Rodon or more recently James Justin as the right-sided centre-back is very, very attacking, a free role, along with the right-sided wing-back Jaydon Bogle. Bogle has almost got a free role when Leeds have the ball. He's been popping up on the left wing at times. Farke, in the right moments, has asked him to make those bizarre, unexpected runs that then asks a different question of the opposition defence and the right-sided centre-back plays off Bogle and dovetails with whatever Bogle decides to do. He will also attack, either overlap or underlap, and quite frequently will get into the final third, which is quite odd when you think about a centre-back doing that, but that's ultimately how they make that system work. They've only got three attackers conventionally. You've got the two number 10s playing behind Calvert-Lewin. So you need wing-backs, and in this case the right-sided centre-back, to join in the attack when they can to overload the opposition defence. I would argue we're at a tipping point now where maybe fans want to see a few more tweaks because they have struggled to find those goals and to turn those draws into wins recently. For me, I was very, very fond of two strikers last season with Lukas Nmecha and with Calvert-Lewin playing as a pair. They got a lot of joy with that system. Sadly, Nmecha and less so Calvert-Lewin just couldn't quite always stay fit, so Farke did have to change at times. At this moment, when they need a little bit of fresh impetus, maybe a fresh idea or two, I personally would like to see maybe something closer to a 3-5-2 now."

Everyone always says Leeds are a different prospect to Elland Road - after a couple of tricky away results, what can we expect with the team back in front of their fans on Saturday?

Beren: “It's a really fair point, and I guess the difficulty is that it's a lunchtime kick-off and that has become a little bit of a hot topic. It's now 21 games that have kicked off before 3pm in the Premier League for Leeds that they haven't won, going back to August 2022. Farke said in this week's press conference that it's a bit more than a coincidence, clearly. That's a long trend. Ultimately, Elland Road just hasn't quite been as fiery as the team needs it to be when the floodlights aren't on. That's a very broad way of putting it, but when the floodlights are on, it's a very different place. It's a joy to watch football there, the adrenaline's pumping, it's a feral atmosphere on the terraces. Like I say, for those Saturday evening kick-offs, the five o'clock or the Monday or Friday nights, it's a special place. Most recently, the 4-1 win over Newcastle, of course, the stadium was absolutely rocking on that Monday evening. Since then, we've had two Sunday lunchtime games with Palace and United, and it just hasn't quite got going as much. So, there will be a degree more pressure, like I've alluded to in a few answers now, this winless run that Leeds are on. It's just creating a touch more anxiety. Leeds are still in a very, very good place overall, given that they are only just into their second season since promotion. We know that Tottenham are really good form. The optimism at Spurs is higher than it's been in a long, long time. So we know it will be a very, very tricky game for Leeds, but certainly, being a home game, this has to be considered at a leveller for Leeds. Hopefully, the stadium feeds off something the team can give them. I think the team and Farke are aware that maybe they need to provide the fans with something to get excited about. Maybe with a big team like Spurs coming to Elland Road, it will get things going."

How do you expect Leeds to line up and how do I think it plays out?

Beren: "So, Joe Rodon, he's back in full training this week - I would expect he'll be on the bench on Saturday, which of course would be a frustration for him as a former Spurs player. It's interesting, the line-up. Like I say, it feels like we are perhaps at a tipping point where Farke might be tempted to change it up. Having said that, he is traditionally quite a balanced and cautious manager who makes changes very lightly. I think given how well the first half-hour went at Bournemouth last weekend, I would not be surprised if it's unchanged, or very few changes. Noah Okafor and Anton Stach, neither of whom started at Bournemouth, are both considered major doubts for Tottenham so, again, I would expect them to be on the bench at best, if not missing out completely. Calvert-Lewin missed training on Thursday but Farke remained carefully optimistic, his words, that he would start. So, I would think Calvert-Lewin will start. I would think it would probably remain the 3-4-2-1. Harry Wilson and Dan James played as the 10s behind Calvert-Lewin and did pretty well in that first half-hour at Bournemouth. I wouldn't be surprised if they remain and I think the rest of the team is probably unchanged. Maybe a touch of pressure from Sean Longstaff on Ao Tanaka for his place in the starting 11 – but if you pushed me on it, I would probably say unchanged. How does it play out? Spurs are in great form and, clearly, on paper, they’ve a far stronger, more experienced squad. I would like to think that Elland Road is a bit of a leveller and that Leeds, as a whole, yes, they're without a win for a few weeks but, like I say, they've been very competitive in every game. If they can score one or two when they're on top in these spells, I think they've got a good chance. I'd probably go 1-1."