Daniel Farke might be using Joe Rodon in the wrong position at Leeds United as stunning data emerges
Joe Rodon has made a name for himself at Leeds with his consistently formidable displays at the back.
The Wales international is a monster when it comes to aerial duels, with only Sepp van den Berg, James Tarkowski and Virgil van Dijk winning more than the Leeds No.6 this season.
- Virgil van Dijk – 47
- James Tarkowski – 46
- Sepp van den Berg – 42
- Joe Rodon – 40
However – after the UEFA World Cup qualifying group stage ended – Daniel Farke might actually be better served deploying Joe Rodon in a defensive midfield role.
Joe Rodon completed more passes than any other player in UEFA World Cup qualifying
We all know the Welshman is strong in the air, but he actually outdid every other player in the group stages of UEFA World Cup qualifying when it comes to passes – according to Jonny Cooper for Opta.
Joe Rodon completed more passes than any other player in this year’s group stage of UEFA World Cup qualifying (754) – he only misplaced 25 passes in seven games. #lufc pic.twitter.com/KkFN2whfAX
— Jonny Cooper (@JRCooper26) November 19, 2025
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Rodon impressively completed 754 across seven Group J outings for Wales, only misplacing 25 in total.
It suggests to us that the 28-year-old could be an effective presence in a No.6 role at the base of midfield, where he can still slot into the backline and head long balls away, but also step higher up to be more of a threat in possession and start attacks.
Moving Joe Rodon can also help Daniel Farke solve a selection dilemma at Leeds United
Farke is currently having to leave Pascal Struijk on the bench after choosing Jaka Bijol to partner Rodon in the last three Premier League outings.
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It is a difficult situation, given the Dutchman is a fan favourite and played a key role in the Championship title win of last season, whereas the Slovenian is a fresh face having only arrived from Udinese in June.
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However, Farke can field both Struijk and Bijol together if he opts to move Rodon slightly further forward into a holding midfield role.
That could see Ethan Ampadu – who was poor against Brighton recently – dropped himself, but it is certainly worth trying with Leeds currently on a run of four defeats in the last five Premier League outings.
