MOT View: Superhuman Leeds star gets ‘Amazing’ credit he deserves from ex-Elland Rd fave
We cannot rave enough about Mateusz Klich and the incredible run of matches he’s played in for Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa.
Before Bielsa was hired, it did not seem as though the 29-year-old had much of a future at Elland Road having spent his debut season as a Leeds player either on the fringes of Thomas Christiansen’s squad or out on loan at FC Utrecht in Holland.
Klich was a bit-part player at best but his transformation under Bielsa cannot get enough praise because he’s now one of the top central midfielders in the Championship.
Unbelievably, Klich has started every single league match where Bielsa has been in charge of Leeds United.
That’s 83 consecutive starts without a break.
It’s a superhuman-level of effort from Klich, who has avoided injury and kept his performances at a top level for almost all of that time.
Yes, there have been times when the Poland international’s form has dipped but that happens to every player and it’s more than likely that the build-up of fixtures around the festive period saw it happen this season.
But the main thing is that Klich has come out of Leeds’ rut in ridiculously good form.
Ex-Elland Road favourite Ian Harte has now offered Klich the praise he deserves.
“He’s a very, very good player,” Hart told Football League World.
“He’s good on the ball, he’s mobile and he makes the team move, and to start so many consecutive games is amazing.
“He stays away from injuries and gets his fair share of goals as well.”
In his last five appearances before the coronavirus-enforced suspension of the Championship, Klich had scored the winner against Middlesbrough and also assisted three goals.
But being involved in goals isn’t what Klich is always about.
One glance at the Polish midfielder’s heatmap for the entire Championship season on WyScout just shows how much he gets around the pitch.
Bielsa’s tactics rely on his players to give 110 per cent effort in every match and that sometimes leads to injuries.
It’s hard to find a Leeds player who hasn’t been sidelined with an issue during Bielsa’s time in charge but nothing has stopped Klich just yet.
In fact, the coronavirus pandemic is the only thing that has halted the Pole’s momentum in the Championship.
Klich’s efforts deserve a lot of credit and every week you see fans hailing the underrated midfielder.
It’s nice to see a former player like Harte waxing lyrical about someone who deserves it.
In other Leeds United news, Leeds and West Brom have reached an agreement after holding an emergency meeting yesterday.