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What, if anything, could make Leeds a better team?

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The Striking Department – Beyond the Deadly Duo

Here’s a part of the team where the present incumbents of the position suggest an absolute formidability, a suggestion backed up by the occupants impressive goalscoring returns. Truly, the burgeoning partnership of Mirco Antenucci and Souleymane Doukara, immeasurably helped no doubt by the pair both speaking Italian, is a joy to behold. Whilst Doukara has always impressed me with his ruggedness and work-rate as well as letting me down with occasionally erratic distribution, Antenucci gives a refined touch to the partnership, exemplified by his delightful turns on the ball, befuddling many a defender this season. They compliment each other well, and can finish clinically, doubtless the most important thing. In fact, the pair’s fine exploits during this campaign have all but washed away any possible lingering lamentation over the loss of Ross Mccormack’s goals, to such an extent that the Scott has only ever been mentioned in terms of ridicule, either for his new club’s mediocrity or his own. This is no mean feat at all and our Italo-Senegalese partnership deserve mighty congratulation. There remains the question though of back-up, reinforcements – the chaps on the bench who at any time could be called into the breach. Since having culled Noel Hunt and Nicky Ajose from the squad, the striking reserves at Neil Redfearn’s disposal have a combined strong, lopsided and vaguely unknown look about them. Steve Morison, Billy Sharp, Brian Montenegro and Lewis Walters constitute the most likely players to feature if either of Ant or Douk have to miss out, with the first two names of the four even more likely to do so than the latter pair, given their significantly broader experience at this level.
For all however, there are question marks hanging overhead. To start with, let’s look at Billy Sharp. The 28 year-old would most probably be the guy to go straight into the forward positions in light of an injury there, but I don’t think many Leeds fans would have at all expected that Sharp would find himself on the bench for the majority of the season, with relative unknowns Antenucci and Doukara being preffered on most occasions to start-up front. I for one was certain when Sharp arrived that he alone was the answer to the loss of Mccormack and would be the main man for The Whites in attack. Neither of those things have really happened for Billy, firstly because of the form of Antenucci and Doukara and secondly I feel because he isn’t as suited to our patient, probing and interchangeable attacking style as are the aforementioned duo. Sharp likes to play as a traditional forward, occupying the space between the two centre-halves, running the channels and basically looking for service from elsewhere to provide him with goalscoring chances. Doukara and Antenucci on the other hand are much more attuned to the flexibility that Redfearn’s diamond system demands of its forward players. Sharp is probably frustrated by his lack of involvement, but I’m confident he will be able to do the business if he gets the chance, even if he may have to adapt his game slightly. Nevertheless, it is nice for Leeds to have such a proven goalscorer at this level in reserve.

Over now to Steve Morison, 31 years of age and in the previously unattainable position of being out of Leeds fans’ ire and accepted in part as someone who will put a shift in when the time comes. Indeed, Morison himself looks and sounds like a man more at ease with his Yorkshire surroundings than at any other stage of his stay here. However, despite his outward show of reform he is still a man who has registered just eight goals in forty-six appearances over the past two years at Championship level for Leeds and Millwall respectively. It would be lovely if when called upon he could grab a quick goal and go from there, but who knows, three players stand in front of him with better recent strike ratio’s and most Leeds fans are probably content with him coming on as a sub if a target man is needed or simply to work hard. He’s a decent guy to have around but I have a feeling Redfearn would take any sort of bid that came in for him in January. Until then, Morison will keep chugging on like the honest pro he is. At the other end of the scale we have two sprightly youngsters in Montenegro and Walters with paltry Championship experience but heaps of promise. Both are probably vying for Morison’s place as 2nd backup striker. Walters was himself mooted for direct involvement in the first team earlier in the campaign but that chance was momentarily scuttled by an unfortunate knee injury. The forward is clearly thought of highly within the club, scoring goals for fun at U21 and U18 level, however they did say the same about Dominic Poleon. Not having watched Walters play though, I wouldn’t want to equate him with the lightning quick but technically incapable Poleon at this stage, I instead look forward to his inevitable debut under Redfearn with great anticipation. Paraguayan striker Brian Montenegro is a similarly interesting prospect but at 21 is two years older than Walters and has already made important contributions at a senior level. One only has to look at the role he played in last year’s Copa Libertadores, (the South American equivalent of the Champions League) for Paraguayan side Nacional Asuncion, in which he scored in the semi-final, helping his team reach the final proper which they eventually lost to San Lorenzo. To have played and distinguished himself on such a grand scale already is a testament to Montenegro’s talent, and he certainly shouldn’t feel overawed by pressure at Leeds. Still, it is a different league with a different style, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Montenegro more on the fringes of involvement in the first team. Being a loan signing, but with more experienced players blocking his path, the 21 year-old might struggle to bring about a more permanent approuch from Leeds. If the talent is there though, this shouldn’t matter too much. Still, he’s a signing I’d like to see more of, a la Zan Benedicic. Up front, Leeds look well-stocked, with Morison and particularly Sharp solid back-up and two young lads out to prove themselves. Though Morison and Sharp would probably benefit from a different style of play, I think they could still be productive and make for valuable experienced heads in a largely youthful squad. There’s still scope for improvement though, and I’m all ears to any suggestions here.

Overall I feel we are a stable side defensively but a further midfield authority and attacking spark would not only take a tremendously exciting Leeds team up a level, but hopefully take our minds off non-footballing concerns even more, increasingly distracting though they are.

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  • Chareose says:

    Quality article… In the past when the gulf in wages wasn’t so big we were often able to bring an older – experienced international caliber player in to Leeds to steady the ship. Like you I’m struggling to think of any who would suit … Batty fitted that role for DOL and Strachen for wilkos team… The only one I could think of was an aging Gerard but that was never going to happen….. Our best hope is that Cellino knows of a foreign bargain that could do it?????

    I agree we need a striker, doukara for me has genuine talent but he can go through periods where he becomes lazy … it needs to be a young striker who has the ability to step up to the prem and do something… Therefore it needs to be ambitious …. Same goes for a winger…. Gradel keeps tweeting about Leeds so there is no doubt he’d come back if we could afford his wages….

    • Walter says:

      Cheers mate, your point on Cellino finding someone from abroad to fill that leadership gap is true, there’s probably a ton of players Salerno knows, they wouldn’t necessarily have to be English.
      Yeah beyond our front two I’m not so sure, after Sharp we could use someone else with a better record than Morison and more experience than Walt or Mont, create genuine competition for places.
      Gradel absolutely loves us! He would work wonders for sure, just the kind of guy we need.

  • henryvl says:

    A top class centre-back, as this is our weakest area, with little cover.
    I like Morison, but he seems to be out of the picture.
    We must keep Massimo!!
    https://www.change.org/p/the-football-league-to-act-in-the-best-interests-of-leeds-united-football-club-regarding-massimo-cellino

    • Walter says:

      Again centre back is similar to up-front in that there’s a few good performers and not a lot behind, I’d be tempted to persevere with Bellusci and Cooper as a pair and see if we can actually build some solidity there, think that having an Italian there makes Silvestri feel more at ease, saying that look at what happened at Cardiff.
      Agree with the Cellino sentiment 100%.

  • stelufc says:

    Squad is fine.

    Just needs time, for youngsters to gain more experience, foreign lads to learn more english and for players to get to know each others game better.

    Thankfully under redders with a settled team and style the team is growing In understanding.

    Was always cellinos plan to make a promotion push NEXT season, and this young footballing squad is geared up to do that. When things start clicking in place this will be our best side in a long long time, the individual talent is there.

    What we need most is arseholes in the media and football authorities to leave us bloody alone.

    • Walter says:

      Agree on the media point, at times I can’t help thinking that some of the flack Massimo gets has xenophobic undercurrents, but anyway onto your main point. It is a great situation stelufc, manager who knows the players inside-out, willing to put youth in, not because he’s sympathetic or for the sake of it but because there’s so much good to work with. I just think a few little tweaks here and there could make it really good, perhaps just wishful thinking though and even if many additions aren’t made this squad as it is being sculpted now can achieve great things next year with a full campaign under their belt.

  • Mike says:

    Darren Gibson, Jonas Gutierrez, Steve Sidwell are probably the best ideas I could come up with of semi realistic experienced midfielders although admittedly I doubt Gibson the most out of that list. I’d love to see like a Sidwell or Cattermole though just to be a real hard man in the middle and fire everyone up.

    • Walter says:

      Mike good call on the names especially Darren Gibson have a feeling he could be really good but yeah he might still be relevant for Martinez given all the competitions Everton are involved in, still, there’s a fair few centre mids in front of him – Barry, Mccarthy, Besic, Osman, Barkley. Maybe just maybe. Really like Sidwell but he would be a tough one to prise away from Stoke. Be interesting to see if Gutierez still has power in that ranging stride of his for sure.

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