MOT View: Leeds must be wary of serious Cardiff City threat after latest manager update
It’s been a long wait, but Leeds United will finally be back in action on Sunday.
The Whites will travel to Cardiff City as they look to get their promotion push back up and running again after a three month break because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
And while you would expect the Whites to stroll past a side who are 17 points behind them in the table, they will still have to be careful not to slip up in such a vital match.
For one thing, Cardiff have only lost one game more than Leeds in the Championship this term.
For another, manager Neil Harris has confirmed that they will have joint-top scorer Lee Tomlin available for the clash.
And the 31-year-old poses a threat that the Whites cannot afford to ignore.
Not necessary operating as an out-and-out striker, Tomlin has still hit seven goals this term, and a quick comparison with Pablo Hernandez – a similarly liberated attacking option in Leeds’ squad – shows what kind of player he is.
Tomlin struggles to compare in terms of dribble success rate or his passing attributes, but he does have a shot accuracy that is 4.5% better, and contests 3.58 more duels per game, as per Wyscout.
And his willingness to show for the ball and proclivity to shoot early was perfectly illustrates by his most recent goal for the Bluebirds.
In the image above, Tomlin is number 17, on the edge of the box.
As you can see, he is aware of where the ball is, but for the most part is passively occupying his defender.
Just as his marker’s concentration lapses for a split second, however, he springs into life, stealing half a yard and calling for the pass.
It’s a subtle movement, but it now allows him to take up possession right on the edge of the box.
His turn is simple one, but the defender is sucked into the wrong side of the play, and that again allows Tomlin to steal half a yard.
Most crucially, however, his strike is early.
If you look at the keeper you can see that he is still flat-footed, rather than bouncing on the balls of his feet.
And that means that by the time he has reacted properly the ball is past him and nestling in the bottom corner.
There’s a deceptive sharpness to everything Tomlin does in that hole just behind the frontman, and if teams aren’t careful, they will get caught out by him.
Leeds must make sure that they don’t fall into that trap on Sunday.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Give him a 10-year contract’ – These Leeds fans celebrate Elland Road ‘saviour’.