Paul Merson wowed by ‘absolutely outstanding’ player in Leeds v Blackburn
Paul Merson was left wowed by the defensive work of Blackburn ace Owen Beck in their 1-1 draw against Leeds United on Wednesday (1 January).
The defender was one of Rovers’ best players on the day as he kept Dan James from turning any of the chances he created for the Whites into goals.
Speaking live on Sky Sports News (1 January, 16:32), Sky pundit Merson shared his thoughts on the performance of the Liverpool loanee.
“He was coming down the left-hand side, he goes past his marker, whips it across the six-yard box, [Dan] James comes steaming in but at the same time, [Owen] Beck is there who has been absolutely outstanding, kept James very quiet,” he said.
“He protects the ball and it rolls out”.
Leeds United need to improve their final-third finishing to earn Championship promotion
Although Leeds have remained at the top of the second-tier table thanks to Burnley also drawing their New Year’s Day clash against Stoke, it still feels like more could come from the West Yorkshire outfit.
There have been times this term when it’s felt like Leeds are untouchable due to the quality they have among their ranks but, after their performance against John Eustace’s men, it’s clear to see that there’s room for improvement.
Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe have been the ones to lead the attacking line at Elland Road since the start of the term and while their other attacking teammates have often made up for their shortcomings, it feels like that needs to change sharp-ish.
Granted, Daniel Farke’s men weren’t expected to storm the league and win every game but the fact that they’ve dropped points in two of their last five games feels like it should be a slight cause for concern.
The second half of the season is coming thick and fast and unless they get their act together, they could end up in the dreaded playoff places once again.
In other Leeds news, Manor Solomon has been lauded for what he did against Blackburn.
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