Zero key passes show player at fault on Sun – 3 things learned about Leeds in defeat v Cardiff
Two mistakes, two goals and a disastrous restart for Leeds United.
It was a case of the same old story at the Cardiff City Stadium, as the Whites had a number of chances to find the back of the net, but they all went begging.
Leeds dominated the first half but fell behind after Kalvin Phillips’ misplaced pass was capitalised on by Junior Hoilett, who finished expertly.
The same happened in the second half when Liam Cooper sold Ezgjan Alisoki short and Robert Glatzel fired in from distance as Marcelo Bielsa’s men started to ramp up the pressure.
One chance that summed up Leeds’ day was Jack Harrison’s at the end of the first half, his low driven shot was heading straight for the net before Patrick Bamford did himself no favours by blocking the ball inadvertently.
Here are three things learned about Leeds after the 2-0 defeat…
1. Hernandez was sorely missed
This isn’t a slight on Tyler Roberts’ performance in the defeat, with the Welshman showing some great glimpses at times. Too often in the final third, the final ball was inches away from finding its target, and that is where Pablo Hernandez is superb. The Spaniard has the ability to unlock the tightest of defences, and his expertise were sorely missed by the Whites. Bielsa confirmed that Hernandez will be back training in the week before the Fulham game and we expect him to come straight back in at Elland Road.
2. Klich must switch on and quickly
If there was one player who we expected to come back firing, it was Mateusz Klich. That wasn’t the case though, and the Pole was one of those who wasn’t his usual self in the Welsh capital. The 30-year-old is a pivotal part of the midfield and links to the attack perfectly but most of that pressure was on the shoulders of Roberts who often had to drop deeper than Klich to make himself available. Klich’s frustration was highlighted by his silly booking in the game, as he was dragged off in the second half after completing zero key passes – for comparison, he had completed 13 in the previous five wins according to WhoScored, he went missing too often on Sunday.
3. Fitness wasn’t an issue
Not that we expected it to be having seen Bielsa work, but his Leeds squad put in a real shift on Sunday and were unfortunate not to be rewarded with the points. Compare it to Fulham on Saturday, our next opponents, and the Cottagers struggled in the final 15 minutes in their defeat against Brentford. Leeds now have a week to recover their fitness once again and welcome back the likes of Hernandez for that crucial game.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has shed light on leaked images of potential Adidas kit for next season