Leeds Round-Up, Tuesday 3rd November: Farke Faces Formation Questions as Chelsea Trip Looms
With the international break out of the way, attention turns firmly to Saturday's trip to Stamford Bridge, and the Yorkshire Evening Post flags up a disciplinary angle to watch, with one Leeds player and one Chelsea player - Cole Palmer - sitting on the same yellow card tally, though only the Leeds man is actually at risk of a ban (Yorkshire Evening Post).
There's plenty of debate around Daniel Farke's tactical approach after a winless run, with LeedsLive asking whether the long-standing back three system needs rethinking given the goals problem the team are currently experiencing (LeedsLive). That issue ties into a wider piece looking at the over-reliance on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with no other Leeds player having scored more than once in the league this season - though the suggestion is this isn't a problem in itself, just one that needs addressing with support from elsewhere (LeedsLive). Elsewhere, LeedsLive argues that a genuine success story at Elland Road is being overlooked amid all the attacking concerns dominating the conversation (LeedsLive), while another piece from the 49ers' ownership stable reinforces a point about ambition, noting Leeds currently sit on the same points total after nine games as they did last season (LeedsLive).
The weekend's Premier League defeat was covered in the official club review, which also noted a brighter story for the Women's side, who progressed in the FA Cup (LeedsUnited.com). Looking ahead to the Tottenham game at Elland Road this weekend, the Yorkshire Evening Post reports a double injury boost for Spurs, with a pair of players potentially available for that fixture (Yorkshire Evening Post), while Archie Gray - the Leeds academy graduate now on Tottenham's books - has been speaking about returning to Elland Road after a trip to Marbella with his new teammates (Yorkshire Evening Post). There's also good news on the international front, with Ao Tanaka handed a boost after a 2027 Asian Cup decision means Leeds won't lose him for as long as first feared in January (Yorkshire Evening Post).
On the transfer and recruitment side, LeedsLive takes a look at whether Noah Okafor is justifying his £18m price tag, suggesting he's become something of a hero figure already but that two specific issues are holding back his progress (LeedsLive). Less happily, the Yorkshire Evening Post reports a loanee out at another club has been hit by his manager's sacking, with a reported £15m transfer obligation now in doubt as he waits to impress whoever comes in next (Yorkshire Evening Post). In a lighter feature, the Yorkshire Evening Post also caught up with a former Leeds captain - who also played for Sunderland and Brighton - after he landed a surprise managerial role at the age of 37 (Yorkshire Evening Post).
In the academy and youth set-up, the U21s are preparing for a National League Cup tie against Hartlepool United (LeedsUnited.com), with six changes to the side confirmed for that game (LeedsUnited.com). The U18s, meanwhile, were narrowly beaten by Blackburn Rovers at youth level (LeedsUnited.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
