MOT View: Experiment with 28y/o must stop – Three things learned about Leeds v Sheffield Weds
Garry Monk managed to do it again on Saturday against Leeds United. You could see the smug look on his face as his Sheffield Wednesday side somehow came away with a 2-0 victory.
The Owls sat with all 11 men behind the ball for the majority of the game, and in fairness, it did frustrate the Whites.
Having said that, Leeds should have been out of sight by half-time. Patrick Bamford, Jack Harrison and Helder Costa all should have done better with their chances.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men were punished, in typical fashion, as Jacob Murphy and Atdhe Nuhiu both scored in the final 10 minutes at Elland Road.
As you can see by SofaScore’s attacking momentum graph, Wednesday never really had extended periods of pressure. They did catch Leeds napping twice though, and that can not happen in the Championship.
Here are three things learned from the 2-0 defeat on Saturday…
1. Dallas experiment must stop
There is no doubting that Stuart Dallas has been one of the Whites’ standout players this season. The Northern Ireland international has been superb when playing at full-back. This experiment of pushing the 28-year-old into midfield must stop immediately though. Dallas looked like a headless chicken against the Owls and was out of position way too many times both on and off the ball. You could see the difference once Pablo Hernandez was alongside him – the Spaniard had way too much responsibility to get something from the game. It would be no surprise to see him drop out against Queens Park Rangers.
2. Time for Meslier to come in
Now it is easy to jump on the bandwagon and suggest that Kiko Casilla should be dropped. But, let’s be honest, he has had more than enough opportunities to get back to his best in the past month. The Spaniard has conceded 13 goals in his last six games – three more than he managed in the opening 21 fixtures. Meslier looked much calmer in between the sticks at the Emirates against a Premier League side than Casilla has in recent weeks, and it might just be time for the French youngster to get his opportunity in the Championship.
3. Victor Orta must get busy, and quick
Looking at the bench on Saturday, many would have thought that it was much stronger. But, outside of Hernandez, there wasn’t a player who was going to change the game for Leeds. The introduction of Jordan Stevens proved that he isn’t up to scratch for the first-team and that Orta has to bring in at least a couple of fresh faces in the final third to help Bamford. Ian Poveda would be a good start and would bring much-needed pace, but Leeds can’t stop there – time for the Spaniard to earn his money in this transfer window.
In other Leeds United news, MOT View: Two players get 4/10 – Leeds player ratings v Sheffield Weds