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The Problem at the Heart of Leeds that Needs Solving

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A scraped 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday later and Leeds are a point richer going into the international break. It was a game that demonstrated both our growing strengths and lingering weaknesses. Exhibiting the former was the improvement made in the chances created column, as the Whites incisively cut Wednesday open during the second-half on four occasions, with Antenucci missing some presentable opportunities that had he buried would probably have seen us go on to win the game comfortably.

The threat from the visitors throughout the game was negligible but when they grabbed their goal their organisation as a team was evident as Leeds impetus and vigour drained after another Antenucci opening was spurned. Struggling to create anything after that, a gratifying equaliser arrived in the form of Giuseppe Bellusci, showing the kind of poise in applying the finishing touch as a centre-back that Leeds’ attack had failed to produce all game.

One of the main concerns that I think Darko Milanic will have to ponder over the international break is the Leeds midfield, a part of the team that has yet to function as a whole since the Slovenian’s arrival. Whilst Tomasso Bianchi has been a steadily improving performer this season and racks up a number of tackles each game, his distribution slipped a little against Wednesday and he was unable to get further up the pitch in the second half to provide the kind of pass he supplied to Souleymane Doukara against Bournemouth. In spite of some of his passing being askew, he still gained an 80% pass completion rate which isn’t too bad, it was just that none of these passes were made in areas threatening to the opposition. Bianchi himself is not the quickest, he is unable to run past two or three players with a burst of acceleration to move the team up the pitch, but he is at least reliable in possession and capable of an accurate through-ball.

I don’t think it is right then to place the blame squarely with Bianchi for the fact that he couldn’t make his passing ability count offensively. It was rather a case of Leeds’ centre-midfield collectively being unable to provide any telling thrust needed to put the team back on level terms. Bianchi’s counterparts in the midfield on Saturday were Rudolph Austin, Luke Murphy and Alex Mowatt. From the midfield criticism that is to follow I will immediately exempt the 19-year-old Mowatt, who was the one midfield player driving forward and looking the likeliest player in the Whites midfield to fashion a chance during Leeds’ tired search for an equaliser.

Contrarily, Austin and Murphy left a lot to be desired, particularly in their attacking contribution. Austin, despite a sumptuous shot in the first half and some customary tackles, was rather poor in the second half. The energy that the Jamaican gives is great but it was his woefully misplaced and bungled decision-making that made the most abiding impression on me at the game’s end. Austin’s all-action, combative style is very useful to the team in a defensive sense and also when he surges forward, but when the game isn’t open and there is less space, as was the case on Saturday, Austin, who isn’t blessed with craft or guile, is ineffective and lessens the team in a technical sense.

Indeed, what was puzzling in the extreme was the Sky Sports commentators game-long love-in with the Jamaican, which sank conspicuously to silence when Austin’s passing game evaporated. The way the pair at Sky were talking, it was as if Austin’s deeper position in midfield was curtailing an attacking maestro who could slot in strikers with ease and cause untold havoc amongst opposition defences. One wonders what games they have been watching. The truth is that, without possessing the technical quality of an Alex Mowatt, Austin will struggle to add a great deal to Leeds in an offensive sense when tact and skill are needed to break a team down. If Austin, whether good or bad, was at least a noticeable aspect in the game, then Luke Murphy was a non-entity in the half he played. One may make the excuse that Murphy is a young player, but he will be twenty-five this month, and I see no reason to expect any great advancement in the former Crewe Alexandria player’s game at Leeds. Against Wednesday, Murphy ran around and passed the ball in such a way as to be of little or no consequence at all. In fact, as soon as it was clear he was to be introduced, my heart sank a little. I thought very bluntly to myself, there is absolutely nothing, nothing that Murphy can do here, he will not bring us back into the game or effect any marked change in the pattern of play. Adryan Tavares is very young of course, and perhaps needs to be bedded in slowly, but I cannot see any way that he, or even Chris Dawson, could’ve done any worse than Luke Murphy, it would be quite an astounding feat in fact.

What made Murphy’s listless display all the more misery-inducing was that it was to be expected! This was the same Murphy that was never more than partially over absolute mediocrity (or completely immersed in it) for the entirety of last season. But more importantly, with Bianchi, Austin and Murphy all manning central midfield positions, Leeds had midfield personnel who could not collectively force their way up the pitch to lay on chances for the strikers. Thrust combined with technical astuteness in the midfield can grant you more ease in sustaining pressure on an opponent, something that Leeds have struggled with this term, especially when having to break down dug-in defences. After the international break, I would like to see Leeds bring back Cook as a defensive midfielder, with Mowatt and Bianchi ahead of him an Adryan or a Chris Dawson given a go in the attacking midfield position. Or we could drop Sloth back and see how he performs in the deeper role said to be his preference and place Bianchi at the tip of the diamond.

With the players listed above occupying the 3 deeper midfield positions Leeds would certainly have the ability to drive forward from this crucial area of the pitch, whilst also possessing the technical quality here to match or possibly attain superiority in possession over an opponent. That isn’t to say that Austin couldn’t start in this midfield and do a good job, or come off the bench for when Leeds need some muscle, but I would start with one of the midfields cited above, just to see if we can dominate a team technically and, without Austin, physically, which I think we can with the players we have. Whoever claims the number ten position against Rotherham on October 17th is probably the greater mystery.

The position has changed hands throughout the season so far with no player really nailing it down. Casper Sloth has failed to really grasp the nettle when played there and this was again the case against Sheffield Wednesday. Giving the ball away too frequently, Sloth drifted through the first half, and maybe this isn’t such a surprise. In Denmark, Sloth was known to specialise in a deeper midfield role, and it isn’t so easy to leap into the attacking midfield position, a critical area where guile and audacity has to be matched with a speed of thought to make it work. It’s not a position you can easily claim as your own, and Sloth’s struggles there are understandable. The Dane has much to offer Leeds, but his talents should be given a chance to shine in his preferred deeper role. It would be great to see Adryan or perhaps Chris Dawson in the playmaking role, given free reign to express themselves.

In the case of Dawson, his glimmering performances in the U21’s are very promising, and Leeds haven’t been a club averse to advancing talented youngsters to the first team in recent years. It is probably more likely though that Dawson will remain in the U21’s or possibly go out on loan, and the latter would serve as a good indicator of Dawson’s talents, but perhaps he doesn’t need that, like Mowatt, Byram and Cook before him. Contrarily, Adryan is a player that one can see being a starter. At the 3 million plus price United are committed to pay at the end of the youngsters’ loan deal, he is surely a talent worth throwing into the mix. Indeed, with Antenucci and Doukara both eminently capable of running in behind, Adryan won’t be wonting for opportunities to pick out their runs. It is not as if the team are in dire straits, things are a little stabler now, with Leeds having only lost one of their last seven matches. Moreover, given the international break, Milanic has time now to properly work and direct his team, and one would hope that the talented youngsters Leeds posses will have their chance to stake a claim. Certainly in the case of Adryan, who also has time in which to build a match fitness not quite attained.

Overall Leeds are looking more secure defensively and progressive in attack, and these are improvements to be welcomed, but it is in the midfield where the level needs to be raised. If this can be achieved, Darko Milanic’s reign could truly get up and running.

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  • Jeff Samuel says:

    While I agree with about about 90% of your conclusions in the excellent article or post above I also think Austin is a far better player just behind the strikers pushing forward however on balance he’s a luxury we won’t need for much longer.
    However I have realised that I know nothing about football as I don’t rate and can’t see any improvements in our game at all.
    We must have the finest kids in the country but I can’t see Darko doing anything to build their confidence going forward.
    He picks Murphy and Cooper yet leaves out Warnock.
    Baffled my his vision.

  • Richard says:

    Sloth in a deeper role??? He is an attacking midfielder. I agree with you that Cook should hold and Bianchi play further forward. Him and Antenucci link up very well.

  • Sven says:

    Good post, agree wholeheartedly. In a nutshell Murphy has failed to live up to his 1million pound price tag, Ruddy could and should be used as you suggest above, as an impact sub or enforcer should the game / opposition allow and nothing more. Defence is looking promising – the whole Warnock situation is a little strange but who knows what goes on behind closed doors. I am feeling the most positive I have felt in years about our teams potential. I I just hope Darko figures out how best to utilise our midfield players to their best, let’s face it we have enough of them! Hopefully the days of Tongue, Murphy and Austin as regular starters are behind us, no disrespect to any of them, they are still
    Leeds players….. But unfortunately no longer good enough!

  • phibbotson says:

    Jeff nobody how good or indifferent can guarantee a first team place,don’t forget Warnock was in the defence that was over run many times last season,the new guys are fast settling in and with great team attitude,anybody who gives 100% throughout the match will be given a big chance by the supporters it’s a long time since I saw this commitment by a LUFC team and I am very optimistic that under Darko we could be well up the league before long,Massimo looks at home and enjoying his time here.
    To disagree with your comment you must be the only one that can’t see a vast improvement with our passing and movement the only hoofball we now play is the outball when no other options are available.
    Adryan could well be the missing link to our season now that he’s getting game time in the development squad and Chris Dawson would be in my squad every week to the exclusion of Murphy.

  • Ev says:

    Agree with a lot of that………… I also don’t see what we have got to lose with playing the kids. Adryan may need a little more fitness work but both Dawson and Montenegro look ready for the first team to me…….Dawson making noises recently that he needs first team football even if it means a loan………..Loaning him out would be wrong because I think he would be good enough for our first team and he and Adryan would give us a new dimension

    Infact its fair to say that he, Montenegro and Dawson played the diamond system far more effectively than the seniors did on the recent outing………

    We shouldn’t suddenly get scared of playing kids and Cellino needs to pep Milanic up on that………

    Agree that we should be looking to make room for our younger players in the squad

  • Bailey says:

    I too agree with the majority of that. I think Austin is most effective when being subbed in and Luke Murphy has maybe half-lived up to the money we paid for him. Its time for the younger players who genuinely care to get a chance. Dawson just needs to put on a few pounds of muscle and he will be fine. Also, has Redfearn been in the dugout like was talked about by Cellino?

  • Leodis says:

    Having seen them both play, I would put Dawson ahead of Mowatt (or indeed of any other midfielder bar Bianchi), yet I would play them both, together with Bianchi and A.N.Other (who would definitely not be Austin, Tongue or Murphy), whom I suspect we do not have on our books (Cook could be that person in 18 months).

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