‘Brilliant’ – Sky Sports pundit astonished by what he noticed in Leeds win v Hudds
Luke Ayling’s wondergoal in the win against Huddersfield on Saturday was a product of the impressive style of football that Leeds United play, according to Andy Hinchcliffe.
Right-back Ayling, 28, scored his fourth goal of the season when he smashed a volley into the back of the Huddersfield net at Elland Road after an impressive piece of build-up play.
Ayling has now scored three goals in his last five appearances and ex-England defender Hinchcliffe has noticed that the Leeds right-back is on his scoring streak because of how much of an advanced role he is being played in.
“It is astonishing but again, it really shows how high up the pitch the Leeds full-backs play,” Hinchcliffe said on Sky Sports’ EFL Podcast.
“We know full-backs are such an important part of modern football but I looked at the average position from that game [versus Huddersfield] and Dallas and Ayling, and the back-four, were on the halfway line or beyond it.
“It all stems from [Marcelo] Bielsa and how he wants to play an attacking game and how he structures his team. He’s got Ben White or Kalvin Phillips as the holding midfielder who can help the two centre-halves so the full-backs can just step forward, the wide-midfielders can can drift infield and that’s why they’re scoring the goals.
“That goal from Ayling was a brilliant one but again, it’s because you’re encouraged to play so high up the pitch and you’re encouraged to take defenders on, to take shots on, to get crosses in, to be positive.
“That’s what Bielsa’s gameplan is all about.”
Ayling is definitely a contender for Leeds’ player of the season award based not only on his impressive goalscoring record in recent weeks, but just how consistent he has been on the right-flank all season.
Ayling is basically a secondary-winger in some matches.
WyScout’s heatmap of Ayling against Huddersfield on Saturday shows just how advanced he played on the right-hand side of the pitch.
However, compared that to Ayling’s heatmap in the win over Middlesbrough, when he didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet, you can see how much more reserved he was on the wing.
Leeds’ use of wide players is a major part of Bielsa’s style of play, with them overloading the flanks on one side and then using the opposite wingers and full-backs to make the most of the space on their side when there is more space.
That is what happened when Ayling score against Huddersfield, with the ex-Bristol City right-back charging into the penalty area after the play was built up on the left-flank.
In other Leeds United news, this is what Victor Orta was spotted doing on the pitch after the Yorkshire derby win on Saturday.