Fonseca at Leeds: If Bielsa were to leave, would the reported next choice be a good fit? – tactical analysis

The annual debacle around Marcelo Bielsa and his expiring contract has begun. It is something that the Leeds United board have involuntarily become used to since his arrival at the Yorkshire club in 2018. When questioned in the last month about his current contract situation, his repeated response was that he wants the get the games out of the way first – even with Leeds’ Premier League status secured for next season.

Although it is to be believed that he will eventually sign a new deal – Bielsa is the master of surprises; everything is on his terms and nothing less. If he were to leave, one of the leading candidates to replace him is the departing Roma manager, Paulo Fonseca, formerly of Shakhtar Donetsk, Braga, Pacos de Ferreira, and Porto. This analysis will explore his philosophy and suitability to the Peacocks.

In this tactical analysis, we will evaluate what went right and wrong at Roma, how transferable his tactics are to Leeds, and who some of the key men could be.

Defensive setup & formation selection

In his first season at the club, Fonseca utilised a 4-2-3-1 formation for the most part in domestic play, successfully guiding them to 5^th place, earning their spot in Europa League football. A switch to a 3-4-2-1 in their 2-1 victory over Parma with eight games left to play in the league saw Roma win seven and draw once, to solidify a wonderful conclusion to the season. This would continue into next season, primarily utilising a 3-4-2-1, however, in recent weeks he has chosen a 4-2-3-1 again.

The change formation did not actually oversee too many selection changes, Fonseca rather changed the positions of some of his key players instead. Most noticeably, Bryan Cristante has transformed into a centre-back this season, moving into the middle of a back three, changing his role into the often-labelled ‘libero’ – a versatile centre-back who ‘sweeps up’ the ball and actively engages his opponents by stepping out of his line. It is a change that has provided the team with enhanced passing options.

At the core of the defence – Cristante anchors a back five in transition with the wing-backs tucking inside.