Jesse Marsch could unleash Rasmus Kristensen with Leeds United formation change
Jesse Marsch has been given the blueprint for how to get the best out of Rasmus Kristensen at Leeds United, according to Phil Hay.
The Dane arrived from Red Bull Salzburg in the summer with much anticipation for how he could provide an attacking threat from right-back, but has taken his time to adapt at Elland Road.
With the 25-year-old featuring in an international set up that is playing with a back three at the World Cup it has “shown how much attacking licence his country are willing to give him”.
In his Wednesday article for The Athletic Hay sets out the differing tactical pressures on Kristensen and the centre-backs at club and international level, and suggested that Marsch could be tempted to switch from his narrow 4-2-3-1 formation after watching the action in Qatar.
He writes: “If Jesse Marsch was looking for food for thought from the World Cup, he has found some in the attacking freedom the Danes are able to give his right-back.
“Marsch’s full-backs can often find themselves marshalling the whole flank alone, under pressure to provide attacking service but always looking over their shoulders.
“Relieving him of some of that responsibility might be a route to finding Kristensen at his best.”
Found the key?
The Leeds United boss has no option but to change something defensively based on the Whites’ form before the international break.
His youngsters have sparked a strong vein of form in attack, with Rodrigo maintaining his own excellent scoring record at the same time.
But things have been a mess at the back, with the centre-back pairings proving incapable of keeping opposition attacks at bay while left exposed by the gaps behind the full-backs.
The January transfer window is the obvious route to address the defence, with a new left-back surely a priority either way since Junior Firpo’s struggles have forced Pascal Struijk into the position all season.
But if there isn’t extensive transfer budget to overhaul the back line in the new year then a three with attacking wing-backs could be the answer, to free up the Kristensen and whoever lines up on the left of some defensive responsibilities and provide 50% more cover centrally.
Clearly that would mean that somebody has to be sacrificed elsewhere so it may not prove to be the answer long-term, but given Marsch wants the full-backs pushed high anyway and his centre-backs are struggling in a pair, it is something that deserves a try.
Kristensen was criticised by Graeme Souness for allowing Kylian Mbappe to score for France on 26 November, but Hay highlighted the fact that it was down to a lapse in concentration from the Whites man rather than a tactical flaw.
Marsch has been consistent with his tactics since his arrival earlier this year, but he will know that he has some issues that need to be addressed, with both his job and Premier League survival on the line if he gets it wrong.
So the chance to see a potential solution in action during the World Cup could be what he needed to convince him to develop his ideas.
In other Leeds United news, a major new transfer is back on the agenda when it appeared to be dead and forgotten.