Is it time for changes in the Leeds XI?
After a few indifferent performances from certain players, we take a look to see where TC may make changes ahead of Reading.
The last few performances have once again drawn our attention to the squad and the starting eleven and whether we need to start to make certain changes as we gear up to host Reading on Saturday.
Everybody has an opinion on the areas that they think these changes should be made, so here at Nowt For Second, I thought I would look at every position and decide where I think the changes need to be made.
Goal Keeper
The one position that most of the Leeds fans expect a change is in goal. Felix Wiedwald’s performances in the last few weeks have further deepened the feeling within the fan base that it is time to give the more experienced Andy Lonergan a chance to start against Reading FC.
However, I believe we should give him a little longer before we discard him and put him alongside Paul Rachubka. He made some errors that led to goals, but the defence have to take some of the blame because they left him very exposed.
I genuinely think that Weidwald is the best choice for the system we currently play and removing him will impact the current system negatively.
Defence
Overall, the defence have had a decent start to the season and, regardless of recent performances, I think Ayling, Cooper, and Jansson should start every game going forward with Pennington and Shaughnessy called upon when required.
It’s the left back position that is the most concerning in terms of the team.
I love Berardi, he will always be a cult hero and his passion is unquestionable, but his level of performance is sometimes not up to the standard we need to be a promotion-chasing side. We saw against Sheffield Wednesday how they targeted the left wing to devastating effect, and we all highlighted the need for further support in that area in the summer. We signed Anita, but he doesn’t look comfortable at left back, and I think it hinders his performance.
When we signed Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, I assumed he may feature more, but he has seemingly disappeared. From what I have seen from the Manchester United loanee, he looks natural at left back and with the Reading fullbacks struggling, he could be a good choice on Saturday.
Midfield
The midfield is another hot topic. The lack of a physical presence in the midfield has ultimately cost us over the last three away games. O’Kane and Phillips have been the go-to centre midfield partnership Thomas Christiansen has turned to in league games this season, and for the most part they have being very good.
The issue is that you need some rotation in the centre of the park. Championship central midfielders work harder than any other position, especially in the 4–2–3–1, and therefore you need to utilise the entire squad.
I stand by the opinion that games are won or lost in the central of midfield, and in the last few games O’Kane and Phillips have looked tired. With the likes of Klich and Vieira available, we need to be able to call upon them more often.
However, I think we should stick with O’Kane and Phillips for the Reading game. Reading are struggling, we are rested, and at home we should walk away with the win.
The change I would make is to play Dallas over Alioski. The pressure will really mount if we do not beat Reading on Saturday, and we need players who can handle the pressure and have the technical ability to still make a difference. Dallas can do that, and if we have Hernandez and Saiz alongside, I think we should easily beat Reading.
Striker
For me, the striker role is different to the midfield and is a position we should not change much throughout the season. I rate Roofe and think he has a role within team, but in my opinion he is not an out-and-out striker. Lasogga should always be the man leading the line.
Every successful Championship side has a player who can score 20+ goals a season, and nobody in the front line is capable of that except for Lasogga. We may see Saiz reach that total, but we can not rely on the attacking midfielder to be our main goal threat.
Overall, I think the break will have done the lads some good and those who looked tired before will be rested up and ready for the game.
My Starting XI would be: Wiedwald, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Borthwick-Jackson, O’Kane, Phillips, Hernandez, Saiz, Dallas, Lasogga.
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