Glen Kamara versatility for Finland could help Leeds United find room for all their new signings
Glen Kamara displayed his versatility for Finland in their 1-0 defeat to Denmark, in a performance that showed Leeds United he is capable of being more than just a central midfielder.
Deployed on the left side of an old-fashioned midfield four on Sunday (10 September), Kamara operated much more as a traditional left midfielder as opposed to a rampaging left winger like Wilfried Gnonto and, while not at his best, he put in a solid performance for his national side.
Of the Leeds midfielder’s 56 touches, only seven came on the right side of the pitch, with a majority of Kamara’s work being done on the left flank, reasonably close to the touchline, as he operated alongside Exeter City left-wing-back Imari Niskanen.
The 27-year-old created two chances for his teammates from the left flank as he completed 76 per cent of his attempted passes, including a reasonably high five balls into the final third but, unfortunately, Finland were unable to register a single effort on target [Fotmob].
Defensively, Kamara could have done more, he lost six duels in the match which was the most of any player on either side, despite only being dribbled past once and managing to make six ball recoveries.
In the early stages of the campaign, Daniel Farke has deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation at Elland Road, with Gnonto typically operating from the left flank while Archie Gray and Ethan Ampadu operate as a midfield pivot in front of the defence.
Both midfielders have been impressive so far this season so it would seem unfair for both of Kamara and Ilia Gruev to immediately take their place in only a matter of days since arriving. But decent money has been spent on all additions at Elland Road and it would seem a shame to see it wasted from the bench.
There will be rotation with the gruelling Championship schedule in mind, but Kamara’s versatility could see him force his way into the side in a different role or even allow Farke to experiment with a different system entirely.
The 27-year-old seems to be at his best when he’s in the heart of the action, as he was off of the bench in Finland’s win over Kazakhstan, but should Farke decide to push Joel Piroe alongside Georginio Rutter, maybe the former Rangers man could do a job as a number 10.
Kamara is an incredibly positive passer of the ball, as displayed by the number of progressive passes he completes into the final third and that characteristic may be easier to utilise if he has a genuine defensive midfield pivot behind him and he’s afforded more room to attack.
It seems unlikely Farke will migrate away from his typical style of play, but the addition of Kamara at least offers him more options.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites were reportedly aggressive in their attempts to sign Luke Thomas this summer