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 moved back into the top two with an impressive win over QPR on Saturday.
The Whites were rather impressive, and many would have been very happy with the performance, but there’s one man who may have mixed emotions about the club’s win at Elland Road.
Indeed, Ezgjan Alioksi may be in for a spell on the sidelines in the near future as the Whites successfully trialled a new formation that doesn’t have a spot for him.
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New tactic
Marcelo Bielsa utilised a new system against QPR this weekend.
As expected, the gaffer used a three at the back formation, but this time he opted not to use wing-backs.
Indeed, the Argentine opted to ditch his wing-backs in favour of an extra midfielder and a number ten as he used more of a 3-1-2-3-1 rather than his famed 3-3-1-3.
That may sound a little complicated, but this is Bielsa we’re talking about.
Why being the away goalkeeper at Leeds is the toughest job in football in the video below…
Alioski out of favour
After the Whites’ success on Saturday, this system may be used more often by the 64-year-old, and that may mean that the £4m-rated Alioski finds himself on the bench over the next few weeks.
Jack Harrison did a soild job of marshalling the left side of the pitch all by himself against the London club as he made as many tackles as Ben White and Liam Cooper, while also being the only player for Leeds to block a shot.
That was as well as scoring and assisting a goal too.
The winger showed that Bielsa can comfortably use a system that doesn’t utilise wing-backs while not actually losing any defensive capabilities.
That means that Alioski’s spot in the squad is under fire as the need for a wing-back is no longer there in games that the manager wants to utilise a three at the back formation.
