Daniel Farke deserves huge credit for the way he has turned Leeds United’s season around with his decision to implement new tactics at Elland Road.
The German head coach has changed from a 4-3-3 base formation to a 3-5-2 base in the Premier League, and is unbeaten in six matches with that system from the start.
3-1 and 4-1 wins over Chelsea and Crystal Palace have been standout results, whilst the Whites also picked up two points with 3-3 and 0-0 draws against reigning champions Liverpool.
One player who has not benefitted from the change in formation, surprisingly, has been centre-forward Lukas Nmecha, who should be dropped from the side.
Why Lukas Nmecha should be dropped by Leeds
The summer signing from Wolfsburg had scored in three successive matches, against Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Manchester City, in the Premier League before the change in formation.
Nmecha then started alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the new 3-5-2 formation for the first game against Chelsea, but he ended the match with no goals, no key passes, and six out of eight duels lost, per Sofascore.
The German striker then missed three games with a hamstring injury before coming off the bench against Sunderland. He was then given a chance to start against Liverpool on Thursday, and struggled.
Per Sofascore, Nmecha lost five of his seven aerial duels and failed to register any shots, key passes, or dribbles in 70 minutes on the pitch before Calvert-Lewin came on to replace him.
With his struggles since the change in formation in mind, the Whites should look to drop him from the starting XI by bringing in a replacement this month.
The Lukas Nmecha upgrade Leeds should sign in January
The January transfer window opened for business on Thursday and Leeds United have been linked with a star who could be an upgrade on the former Manchester City attacker.
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TEAMtalk recently reported that the Whites are one of a number of Premier League clubs, including the likes of Everton and Fulham, that are interested in a deal to sign PSV centre-forward Ricardo Pepi.
The Eredivisie outfit are said to be demanding a fee of up to £35m for the USNMT number nine, though, which means that Leeds will need to splash the cash to bring him to Elland Road.
Pepi’s form for PSV over the past 18 months or so suggests that he is worth paying significant money for, because he has been in sublime goalscoring form in the Netherlands.
The 22-year-old marksman was described as “incredibly prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig last month, and it is hard to argue with that praise, because the number nine has scored 28 goals for PSV since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
That run of form includes a return of five goals in 12 Champions League matches for the Dutch side, per Sofascore, which shows that he can deliver in front of goal at the very top level.
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Pepi’s performances in the Eredivisie in the current campaign also suggest that he could immediately arrive at Elland Road as an upgrade on Nmecha for the Whites if they agree a deal to sign him before the end of the January transfer window.
25/26 season
Pepi (Eredivisie)
Nmecha (PL)
Appearances
14
16
xG
5.09
4.43
Goals
7
4
Big chances missed
3
4
Assists
1
1
Dribble success rate
50%
0%
Aerial duel success rate
44%
38%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the American star is a more efficient finisher and more creative than the Leeds ace, whilst also offering more to the team physically, by carrying the ball forward with dribbles and winning a higher percentage of his aerial battles.
Pepi may not be an incredibly physical centre-forward, like Calvert-Lewin, but his statistics this season do suggest that he would offer more than Nmecha in and out of possession.
Farke’s change to a 3-5-2 formation also means that the £35m-rated star could play alongside Calvert-Lewin, so that they can share the physical load, and that could be an exciting front two for the Whites moving forward.
Therefore, Leeds should brutally ditch Nmecha by signing an upgrade on him just six months after bringing the forward to Elland Road by signing Pepi from PSV this month.
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