Three aspects of Fulham's system for Leeds United to look out for at Elland Road

Jon Mackenzie runs All Stats Aren't We, a Leeds United media channel that focuses on the tactical and statistical aspects of the game.
Leeds United host Fulham in the Premier League this weekend. (Bruce Rollinson)Leeds United host Fulham in the Premier League this weekend. (Bruce Rollinson)
Leeds United host Fulham in the Premier League this weekend. (Bruce Rollinson)

If Leeds’ opening Premier League fixture saw them stepping into the unknown, this week’s opponents see them return to an old normal.

By this point in his Leeds United career, Marcelo Bielsa has already faced Scott Parker in the dugout twice. But with both sides going from title challengers to potential relegation rivals, Saturday’s fixture at Elland Road is thrown into a whole new light.

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In the Championship, Parker largely preferred a 4-3-3 formation. But last weekend saw him rip up the copybook and try a different approach.

Here are three aspects of Parker’s system to look out for on Saturday:

Exposed Defence

Although questions can be raised about Scott Parker’s Fulham as an attacking force, out of possession they can cause teams a lot of problems. Just think back to the first half at Elland Road last season.

However, Fulham’s high press can leave their back line exposed, particularly their centre backs. Keep an eye on how Michael Hector and Tim Ream deal with quick counter-attacks at the weekend.

A New Structure

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No doubt not wanting to leave Harrison Reed as the last line of defence in midfield against Arsenal, Parker tried out a 4-2-3-1 formation at Craven Cottage last weekend. This was largely to counter the 3-4-3 formation that Mikel Arteta chose to go with.

The 4-2-3-1 allowed Fulham to shift to a 4-2-2-2 formation out of possession which helped them press Arsenal in the build-up phase. But will Parker stick with this approach against Leeds or revert to last season’s 4-3-3?

Ponderous Build-Up

Why do Fulham struggle to create chances despite enjoying long spells of possession? Parker’s team generally look to move the ball into wide areas to then find a lone striker - usually Mitrovic - in the box.

In doing so, though, they don’t often look incisive, recycling the ball around their back line a lot in a bid to find some sort of penetration down the line. This is largely because their off-the-ball movement isn’t particularly complex, something differentiating them from a Marcelo Bielsa side.

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