Leeds United at Derby County: Three Talking Points from the 2-2 draw
Silly mistakes cost the Whites again, as an injury-time equaliser leaves Leeds without a win in their last 10 games.
I found last night’s game somewhat frustrating. I felt, as away displays go, we played well and for the most part we put in a decent shift. However, the same problems that have plagued us in 2018 appeared again and, in my opinion, put an end to any chance of promotion to bed.
Anyway, lets take a look at the talking points from the game..
Saiz’s Returned added a Spark
We all know how much the team have missed Saiz, but his display when he came on last night further highlighted how much we had missed him. His quality changed the teams ethos and added the spark that has been missing over the last few weeks.
The most pleasing expect of Saiz’s performance was the glimpses of understanding between him and Alioski that we had seen during the strong start we made to the season. Whether it be this season or next these partnerships will be the catalyst for the whites and it was good to see last night.
Roofe’s fire has gone out
In contrast the man he replaced is currently struggling to find his feet. I am a strong believer in judging strikers purely on their scoring record and, in the case of Kemar Roofe, that record is decent enough this season. However, the cause arises when Roofe is playing the support attacking roles. Once again, Roofe was massively ineffective for the 55 minutes he was on the pitch.
The role behind the striker in the 4–2–3–1 formation is the heartbeat of the formation and, with Roofe struggling to be effective in that area in-turn means the team become ineffective also.
For me, the quality within the midfield — means that Roofe does not need to play any other role than upfront. Roofe would more functional as a substitute alternative to Lasogga when the defenders are becoming tired.
Back to Basics
I often refer to the foundations of a team as the base for success, for any football team that starts with getting the basics right. Leeds have struggled to apply the basics to their recent performances. We have very skilled creative players, but those players only make a difference if other players do their jobs correctly.
Both goals last night stemmed for players not understanding each other and failing to have the confidence to control the pace of the game. If Leeds Heckingbottom wants to push Leeds forward he will need to stop the silly mistakes that have cost us in numerous games in 2018. MOT
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