‘All over the place… Big problem’ – Sky pundit blames one Leeds player for defeat v Leicester
Leeds United suffered their first heavy defeat of the season to Leicester at Elland Road on Monday night and Sky Sports pundit Simon Francis laid the blame at the door of Mateusz Klich.
He was tasked with playing a deeper role last night with Kalvin Phillips out with injury.
Jamie Shackleton came in for Phillips but played the more advanced midfield role.
Talking on The Football Show (Sky Sports, Tuesday, 10am), Francis said, “Leeds were victims of their own downfall, they gave the ball away too many times
“Klich was too loose in front of the back four – if Phillips was there he does a better job defensively, he cuts out that ball to Vardy.
“Klich was running all over the place at times trying to join attacks and that was a big problem.
“However, Leeds won’t change how they play… When they go toe-to-toe with teams it will be very different.”
Phillips absence still a major problem
Francis makes a fair point here.
Against Aston Villa, the Shackleton/Klich re-shuffle worked really well. So well, in fact, that Bielsa decided to start Shackleton and play the same way against Leicester, rather than putting Pascal Struijk in the defensive midfield spot.
However, where Klich was brilliant against Villa, he looked completely out of sorts last night.
It shows just how important Phillips is to the Leeds side and also that it’s the one position where they don’t have adequate like-for-like cover.
Phillips is likely to miss the game against Palace on Saturday, too, and last night’s performance will probably lead to Struijk getting recalled.
He was hauled off after around 20 minutes in the game against Aston Villa but he’s the best option that Leeds have without Robin Koch stepping up from defence.
And, with Diego Llorente still out injured, Koch is needed at the back.
In other Leeds United news, Bielsa reacts as Pablo Hernandez furious after being subbed for Leeds v Leicester