Pascal Struijk can be the answer to Daniel Farke woes at Leeds United
Daniel Farke has to make better use of Pascal Struijk if he is to solve the set-piece problem at Leeds United.
The Yorkshire Evening Post shared on 17 September the shocking Opta statistic that the Whites have not scored directly from a corner in any of their last 147 attempts, including 52 shots on goal.
Struijk’s return to the starting XI in central defence alongside Joe Rodon is yet to yield an improvement from corners, with United having one of the shortest sides in the Championship.
The Dutchman’s opening-day penalty against Portsmouth is the only successful set-piece so far this season, and Farke must give him more of a presence in the box to boost his chances of scoring.
Leeds United need to use Pascal Struijk’s attacking qualities
A centre-back stepping up to slot home your first goal of the new season from the penalty spot will have surprised onlookers, but United are yet to produce anything else of note from set-pieces.
Struijk’s five goals last season, three of which came in the league, made him the only Whites defender to manage more than two across all competitions last season.
Rodon is yet to break his duck, as is Ethan Ampadu in league matches, and this shows that Struijk has to be the go-to player when it comes to corners and free-kicks this season.
The Dutchman will be heavily marked as the most obvious target in these situations, but having also netted his fair share of open-play goals, Struijk’s attacking prowess cannot be understated.
Farke has come in for huge criticism amid a blunt performance in the 1-0 loss to Burnley, and with sides set to sit deep in the hope of stifling Leeds’ attack, emphasising Struijk’s quality could be the key to unlocking these defences.
In other Leeds United news, one new Elland Road signing turned down clubs in the Bundesliga before making the move to LS11.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.