Speaking in a press conference back in May, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke said: “I love attractive football, perhaps for sides in the top half of the table, but I love to be a manager who plays for something rather than to avoid something.”Since he made those comments, just after Leeds had secured their safety from relegation, it has been fair to wonder what they mean for 2026-27. How expansive does he want his team to be?Does it mean he will pivot entirely away from the three-centre-back system which served the team so well in 2025-26? Harry Wilson then offered further insight after speaking to the media on July 8, when his arrival was announced.Wilson said Farke, in their conversations before his arrival, reiterated his natural desire to see his teams dominate the ball and regain possession high up the pitch. The German also mentioned his preference for a four-man defence.While speculation about Farke’s plan will rage until he takes the team to Nottingham Forest on August 22, there were reminders in Chicago on Sunday of just how effective the team was last season. The hallmarks of the system, which has seen Leeds lose only five of their last 25 Premier League games, were there to see in the friendly victory over Liverpool at Soldier Field.The match was markedly different in each half, but the common thread which ran through the full 90 minutes was Ethan Ampadu’s long throws. From as early as the second minute, the captain’s touchline launches into the Liverpool box caused chaos.(Daniel Bartel/Getty Images)Much in the same way they became one of Leeds’s big weapons in 2025-26, the opposition never managed to get a handle on them in Illinois. Leeds have recruited to maximise this route to goal.Time and time again, centre-backs Joe Rodon, Tarik Muharemovic and Sebastiaan Bornauw, all between 6ft3in and 6ft4in, were getting first contact on the throw-ins. The summer loss of Pascal Struijk, an aerial powerhouse for Leeds, posed concerns about the team’s set-piece threat, but Muharemovic, his replacement, was dangerous on Sunday.