Can any of this season’s promoted sides do what the last six haven’t managed and prosper in 2025/26?
That’s the question Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers will be asking ahead of the new season.
Sides coming up from the Championship tend to boast impressive numbers. In the last two campaigns, that hasn’t translated into Premier League survival.
Maybe Leeds United, equipped with backing from the 49ers, can buck that trend.
Included in this three-part series dedicated to the Whites will be in-depth examinations of their defence and attack. Kicking things off, however, is a detailed look at the man in the dugout: Daniel Farke.
To get a fan’s perspective, we’ve got insight from our very own video editor, Scott Worrall, a regular match-goer at Elland Road.
WHAT TACTICS DO LEEDS PLAY UNDER FARKE?
We Fantasy managers like predictability. No wild team tinkering, just week-to-week continuity.
Fortunately, it sounds like Farke can mostly give us that – more of which below.
Tactically, he seems completely wedded to a 4-2-3-1. Every single fixture last season saw Leeds start with that system.
It was the formation he used for the vast majority of his time at Norwich City, too, with the very occasional dalliance with a wing-back system.
“He can be flexible at times but he very rarely deviates from a 4-2-3-1 formation. He’d much prefer to change personnel in a role, ie putting a right-back at right wing, as opposed to going away from the 4231.” – Scott Worrall
This is how the Championship winners lined up on the final day of the campaign (via Transfermarkt):
WHAT STYLE OF FOOTBALL DOES FARKE FAVOUR?
“Farke is a manager who likes to dominate possession and use slow methodical build-ups to generate attacks.
“He also prioritises full-back overloads to create chances from out wide, with Junior Firpo – who looks set to leave the club – and Jayden Bogle being massively involved in chance creation last season.
“His defensive style can change from match to match and even in-game, depending on game state. Usually, he employs a high-pressing style but against the better teams in possession, he was also happy to drop into a mid-block or even a low-block structure. We saw that at Middlesbrough and Sunderland away last season.” – Scott Worrall
POSSESSION
Possession is the watchword here.
Leeds bossed the ball more than any other Championship team in 2024/25, eschewing the long pass (and often crosses) in favour of steady build-ups.
Leeds United in 2024/25 Rank v other Championship clubs
Possession 61.4% 1st
Pass completion rate 86.2% 1st
Short passes per game 509 1st
Long balls per game 39 24th
Crosses into the box (excl. set plays) 79 15th
Switches of 40+ yards 62 24th
While there is no way that Leeds will see 60%+ of the ball in the Premier League, they don’t have to abandon their principles entirely.
Southampton, 2023/24’s top Championship team for possession, certainly stuck to their guns – not that it was the wisest thing to do at times. At the point of the ball-crazed Russell Martin’s departure, Saints were eighth in the Premier League for possession (53.2%).
GOALSCORING
So, what did Leeds do with all that play in the Championship?
Score goals, that’s what.
A total of 95 goals was the most in the division by some distance. It was also the most that any second-tier side has scored since Fulham (106) in 2021/22.
Leeds United in 2024/25 Rank v other Championship clubs
Goals 95 1st
Expected goals (xG) 89.1 1st
Shots 759 1st
Shots in the box 521 1st
Encouragingly, the Whites ended the season with a flourish. The 7-0 walloping of Cardiff City in February was viewed as a bit of a turning point, an unshackling of sorts after growing criticism that it was all a bit too ponderous.
Leeds were top for goals scored before that game (53 from 29 games) but only by five from Norwich. After that, a run of 42 goals in 17 matches saw the Whites end up 24 goals clear of anyone else.
DEFENDING
Burnley hogged the headlines for their defensive record last season.
But Leeds weren’t half-bad at the back, either. A total of 25 clean sheets – Burnley got 30 – was more than any Championship team has managed in 14 years.
Leeds United in 2024/25 Rank v other Championship clubs
Goals conceded 30 2nd
Clean sheets 25 2nd
Expected goals conceded (xGC) 29.6 1st
Criticism can perhaps be more leveled at an individual level, particularly at goalkeeper Illan Meslier. More of that to come in our piece on the Leeds’ defence.
Of course, one of the best forms of defending is to dominate the ball. Leeds made fewer blocks and clearances than any other Championship side last season. They were 23rd for tackles. They didn’t have to intercept possession much because they themselves had it.
It’ll be a bit different in 2025/26.
DOES FARKE LIKE A SETTLED SIDE OR WILL HE ROTATE?
Rotation is the scourge of the Fantasy manager. Fortunately, Farke doesn’t seem partial to it.
“Farke doesn’t like to rotate. Leeds had a large squad last year for the Championship but Farke didn’t like to use it. This was one of Leeds fans’ big issues with him.” – Scott Worrall
The Leeds boss called upon only 28 players last season, which was 10 fewer than Burnley’s Scott Parker did. Only three Championship clubs used fewer, indeed.
Seven of those 28, such as Patrick Bamford, didn’t even make a start.
Player Primary position in 2024/25 Starts (sub apps)
Brenden Aaronson AM 43(3)
Joe Rodon CB 46
Joël Piroe CF 36(10)
Jayden Bogle RB 44
Ao Tanaka CM 37(6)
Wilfried Gnonto RW 26(17)
Illan Meslier GK 39
Manor Solomon* LW 30(9)
Mateo Joseph CF 11(28)
Daniel James RW 30(6)
Joe Rothwell* CM 24(12)
Sam Byram LB 16(20)
Pascal Struijk CB 31(4)
Junior Firpo LB 30(2)
Ethan Ampadu CB/CM 26(3)
Largie Ramazani LW 7(22)
Ilia Gruev CM 20(3)
Patrick Bamford CF 0(17)
Josuha Guilavogui** CM 0(16)
Isaac Schmidt RB 0(12)
Max Wöber LB 2(6)
Karl Darlow GK 7
Joe Gelhardt RW 0(2)
Charlie Crew CM 0(1)
Georginio Rutter** AM 1
Harry Gray CF 0(1)
James Debayo CB 0(1)
Sam Chambers AM 0(1)
*was on loan but has now returned to parent club
**no longer at the club
The volume of sub appearances makes it seem like there was much chopping and changing. But that wasn’t really the case.
Seven of Joel Piroe‘s sub appearances came right at the start of the season. He’s an ever-present starter in 2025, indeed.
Wilfried Gnonto made 15 consecutive starts at the beginning of 2024/25. From New Year’s Day to the end of March, another period of 15 games, he was exclusively a substitute.
You had your run in Farke’s side, then, if you weren’t performing, you were out. Not much week-to-week rotation, therefore.
There were rare occasions when he’d rotate, such as the three-game week at the back-end of 2024. Even then, that rotation dried up drastically this calendar year.
Given that the first midweek round of Premier League matches isn’t till December this season, we won’t be expecting too many alterations other than those influenced by form.
HOW DOES FARKE HANDLE THE PRESS – AND WILL HE GIVE US HONEST TEAM NEWS?
Your chance to get involved on the FPL Question Time panel in 2020/21
We’re seeing fewer and fewer open and honest head coaches in pre-match press conferences these days, so reliable team news is harder to come by.
From personal experience, Farke was one of the more helpful managers during his time at Norwich. “A question mark” was the German’s answer to Sean Dyche’s “touch and go”.
He’s not the full Bielsa, of course, and seems to have introduced “late call” into his repertoire.
“The big news, when he changed goalkeeper (from Illan Meslier to Karl Darlow), this was mentioned in the press conference beforehand. But a lot of times, he would just say, ‘We’ll make a late call on the day’ and wouldn’t give too much away.” – Scott Worrall
WHERE MIGHT FARKE STRENGTHEN IN THE SUMMER AND WHICH PLAYERS ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING THEIR PLACE?
Fantasy EFL Gameweek 17: Top Weekend Picks
The summer recruitment has already started with the capture of forward Lukas Nmecha and centre-half Jaka Bijol.
Don’t expect the transfer activity to stop there.
“Leeds are expecting quite a big summer, with the 49ers’ backing. Now that Bijol is signed, the priority positions are goalkeeper, left-back, holding midfielder, left winger, creative number 10 and a striker! I expected them to go big on a striker, with a bid of £32m apparently already lodged for Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz.
“Meslier and Darlow, I expect won’t start next year. One of Rodon or Struijk will drop out, with Bijol expected to start. Firpo is leaving at left-back.
“Midfield, I would expect Tanaka to start next to the new holding midfielder. So Ampadu and Gruev likely will be dropped. Gnonto/Ramazani I would expect to be on the bench with an incoming left winger expected. Aaronson, i would expect to be benched, with a new 10 coming in.
“Piroe, I would expect him to be benched with Nmecha and a new striker competing up top.” – Scott Worrall
THE FINAL WORD
Just to emphasise how tough the jump up to the Premier League is, Farke’s previous record doesn’t make for hopeful reading.
Twice before, he oversaw title-winning promotions from the second tier. And on both occasions, a season of struggle followed.
Seasons Promotion-winning season record Record in Premier League the following season
2018/19 + 2019/20 Position: 1stPoints: 94Goals scored: 93 Position: 20thPoints: 21Goals scored: 26
2020/21 + 2021/22 Position: 1stPoints: 97Goals scored: 75 Position: 20th*Points: 5*Goals scored: 5*
2024/25 + 2025/26 Position: 1stPoints: 100Goals scored: 95 ?
*Norwich’s record at the point of Farke’s dismissal after Gameweek 11. The Canaries would go on to be relegated in 20th place, having picked up just 22 points and scored on only 23 occasions.
Farke has won only six Premier League games in 49 attempts. Will this season be any different?