Leeds United: Daniel Farke should consider Joe Rothwell tweak to aid Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph | OneFootball

Leeds United have not tried a three-man midfield since Ethan Ampadu's return, but Daniel Farke could deploy Joe Rothwell more advanced.

Leeds United's decision to allow Georginio Rutter to leave in the summer without sourcing a replacement playmaker or No.10 profile has left a notable gap in their squad, which is hindering them in some games already.

Rutter offered a unique blend of creativity and flair to Leeds, with his ability to thread intricate passes and break lines; it was a role no one in the current squad quite replicates in terms of their overall skill-set.

Joel Piroe, while an excellent finisher, isn't a natural passer or playmaker, often looking to get on the end of moves rather than create them. Willy Gnonto, despite being a competent passer, tends to operate as an inverted wide player, driving inside but not offering the same vision or decisiveness in tight spaces that Rutter did.

Largie Ramazani is similar to Gnonto, offering dynamism but lacking the intricate playmaker qualities as he looks to run in behind the opposition. Brenden Aaronson, although more suited to a No.10 role, isn’t the technician or line-breaking passer that Leeds need. He relies more on his agility, half-turns, and athleticism than on vision and threading difficult passes through compact defences.

Without Rutter, Leeds lack a player who can unlock stubborn opposition and provide those crucial moments of magic, especially in games where creativity is key to breaking down defences and teams protecting a lead, a la Blackburn Rovers, Millwall, and Burnley this season.

Leeds fared better in a creative sense when 1-0 down away from home to Preston North End and managed to snatch an equaliser at the death, but it has been those clashes which have often been the problem for Daniel Farke during the last 18 months in the second tier.

Leeds' tactical issue under Daniel Farke

This absence of a creative playmaker is felt most when Leeds face teams that compact the middle of the pitch, whether in a mid-block or deeper block. These sides make it difficult for Leeds to find spaces between the lines, and it’s here that the lack of a player with real creativity on the ball becomes glaring.

Breaking down such opposition often requires more than just possession — it needs moments of magic or inspiration, the type of moments that can split open a compact defence with a single pass. When Leeds struggle to create clear chances, it’s often because they miss that spark from a player who can pick out difficult passes, especially in a level game state or when chasing an equaliser in the dying embers of a match.

One potential solution is to simply sign a creative midfielder in an advanced role in January, with the winter window opening in just over a week's time. Or, if Leeds do not sign a striker, then they will have to find solutions within their squad. That could lie somewhat in their striker options opening up a game in a different way as well.

A key to breaking down low or deep blocks can be having a forward who makes runs in behind the defence, stretching the pitch and pulling defenders out of position. Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford both excel at these off-the-shoulder runs, offering Leeds a way to disrupt tightly packed defences.

In contrast, Piroe, while the team’s best finisher, is more of a penalty-box poacher and less adept at making those runs beyond the backline. His profile is more about being in the right place at the right time to finish chances, rather than contributing to the overall fluidity of Leeds’ attacking play.

Having a No.10 combining with a striker like Joseph or Bamford, who stretch the defence, would create more space for other attackers like Gnonto, Ramazani, or Dan James to move into. The central defenders would be drawn away by the striker’s runs, allowing Leeds to exploit the gaps created in those moments. This would also bring about more fluidity in attack and create better chances for the likes of Joseph or Bamford themselves or others arriving late into the box.

Bamford highlighted the importance of this during his cameo against Preston, regularly making runs beyond the backline to stretch the pitch more. However, Leeds have done similarly with Joseph at various stages this season, and perhaps the obvious answer may be to acquire an attacking midfielder rather than asking Farke if he can find solutions tactically, although there is something he is yet to try.

If that approach doesn’t yield results, Leeds might benefit from adding more physicality in midfield to gain control, particularly against aggressive teams when traveling away. Fielding a midfield trio of the recently returned Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, and Joe Rothwell could offer Leeds more stability and solidity.

Ampadu’s physicality and robustness at the base of midfield will allow Rothwell to play in a more advanced role, functioning between a No.8 and No.10 position. Rothwell has a track record of scoring goals from midfield, having done so previously at Blackburn Rovers (pictured above) and Southampton, and being given more freedom in such a role could see him take more shots from the edge of the box.

His dynamism in joining the attack could provide an alternative route to goal, and Leeds would benefit from his ability to arrive late into the box and add an extra threat in the final third. Tanaka could also operate in a similar role, but he may be more needed in deeper phases of the build-up alongside Ampadu, whereas Rothwell’s more advanced positioning would be key to finding a way to unlock the opposition's defence.

This tactical tweak would not only offer Leeds better control in games where they're up against aggressive or physically imposing opponents, but it could also unlock new avenues in attack. Rothwell, with his experience and scoring ability from midfield, could be at least some sort of solution to Leeds' lack of creativity, offering a different kind of answer to the absence of a Rutter-type playmaker.

He could play in such a way with any of Leeds' strikers, but the more static and less intense Piroe needs midfielders with dynamism and an eye for goal, which both Tanaka and Rothwell could bring in a 4-3-3 shape over the usual 4-2-3-1, with Rothwell acting as a more advanced No.8.