{"id":263276,"date":"2026-09-18T16:10:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T16:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/18\/leeds-star-went-from-one-of-the-divisions-worst-to-an-elite-level-alioski\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T16:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T16:10:11","slug":"leeds-star-went-from-one-of-the-divisions-worst-to-an-elite-level-alioski","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/18\/leeds-star-went-from-one-of-the-divisions-worst-to-an-elite-level-alioski\/","title":{"rendered":"Leeds star went from one of the division’s worst to an elite-level Alioski"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Leeds United<\/a> head coach Daniel Farke<\/a> came under fire from some sections of the social media fanbase after the club’s recent 6-3 defeat to Chelsea in the League Cup.<\/p>\n

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It was a frustrating evening for the Whites, as they were knocked out of the competition despite taking a 2-0 lead, and it led to some emotional reactions and question marks over the manager’s long-term suitability at Elland Road.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/picture>Reuters\/Paul Childs<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

An issue that the former Norwich City boss has had throughout his time at Elland Road is that some supporters still hold him up to the idea of Marcelo Bielsa, rather than the reality.<\/p>\n

The Argentine manager was a revelation in West Yorkshire, leading the team to promotion and a top-half Premier League<\/a> finish, but he did not evolve his squad in the same way that the German has.<\/p>\n

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\n How Farke has succeeded where Bielsa failed at Leeds<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

After finishing ninth and conceding 54 goals in the Premier League in the 2020\/21 campaign, Bielsa did not look to adapt or improve his defensive structure, sticking with the high-pressing, high-tempo, 4-1-4-1 that had served him so well up to that point.<\/p>\n

He wanted high-energy players, like Ezgjan Alioski, Kalvin Phillips, and Mateusz Klich, and that way of playing was a breath of fresh air in the first season.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, that structure was exposed in the team’s second term in the top-flight. Leeds conceded a staggering 60 goals in the first 26 games of the campaign, losing 13 times, and it cost the Argentine boss his job.<\/p>\n

Farke, however, saw where his team were headed at the start of last season and decided to go with a 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2 formation from December onwards, and it completely changed Leeds’ fortunes.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Before and after Farke’s formation switch<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n

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25\/26 Premier League<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

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August-November<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

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December-May<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

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Matches<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

25<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Wins<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Draws<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

12<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Losses<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Goals conceded<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

25<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

31<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Goals conceded per game<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1.92<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1.24<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Points per game<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0.84<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1.44<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

That change has, ultimately, set the Whites up for a strong second season in the Premier League, as they have won two and drawn two of their first four matches, only conceding three goals.<\/p>\n

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\"daniel-farke-leeds\"\n <\/picture>REUTERS\/Jason Cairnduff<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Farke has succeeded where Bielsa failed, evolving his team for long-term success in the top-flight, and several players have benefitted in a big way from that evolution.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Farke has unearthed an elite-level Ezgjan Alioski<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

Players like Alioski were eventually phased out in the Premier League, as they were unable to retain value after the high-pressing style fell flat, but Farke has unearthed his own elite-level version of the full-back. <\/p>\n

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\n \"Alioski-.Leeds-Firpo-Elland-Roadjpg\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

In the summer of 2024, Leeds decided to swoop for one of their Championship rivals’ players when they signed Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United for a fee of \u00a35m.<\/p>\n

It looked like a risk at the time of the move because he had just played 34 of their 38 games in the Premier League when they conceded a record 104 goals, and he lost 53% of his ground duels and got dribbled past 34 times in those matches.<\/p>\n

Bogle had been among the worst of the worst in the Premier League, as he was a mainstay of the worst defence in the history of the division, but that did not deter Farke.<\/p>\n