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Rarely have international breaks treated Leeds fans better than this one. Still basking in the news of their beloved local hero Kalvin Phillips having signed a new five-year deal, club captain Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas also put pen to paper and signed new contracts this week.

All three players have been remarkably transformed under head coach Marcelo Bielsa, and the trio of new contracts reinforces the significant direction the club have chosen this season - continuity.

Phillips’ new deal, in particular, represents a fantastic coup for the club, especially having spent the entire summer fending off £20m plus bids from Aston Villa and other potential Premier League suitors.

Securing the future of Leeds’ local hero was the news the Elland Road masses had long since waited for, and could prove to be a necessary kickstart following their disappointing home defeat to Swansea before the international break

(Image: Leeds United)

Such had been the club’s statistical dominance in the Championship this season, that there had been a tedious sense of inevitability in the Whites finding familiar ground by faltering at home to the Welsh side before the international break.

Leeds may have relinquished their early grip of first spot in the division following substitute Wayne Routledge’s late winner, but the Elland Road faithful have far too many positive signs to disintegrate any early optimism.

Leeds have produced a series of dominant performances against all six of their league opponents, and if xG were a fair indicator of the club’s authority, then they would have five more points and sit top of the division right about now. Something I will go into more detail about a bit later.

In reality, Leeds’ have collected 13 points from their opening six games, dropping the other five at home following late goals against Nottingham Forest and Swansea. The club’s recent home form gives reason for some concern having reaped just one win from the last seven matches at Elland Road, a run stretching back to the tail end of last season and that extraordinary defeat to Wigan.

It is a striking contrast to Leeds’ away form, having recorded four consecutive away wins at the start of a season for the first time since 1973. Redressing the balance of where future points are yielded quickly goes without saying.

So a consistency with results is needed, but an improvement to the style of football Leeds are playing certainly does not. It’s an exhilarating, electric, all-attacking brand of football that is designed to entertain the masses and enthrall the neutrals.

Leeds are arguably playing the best brand of football outside of the Premier League in England, and have adopted a playing style the club’s fans and hipsters alike adore across the world.

So where are Leeds excelling, where are we faltering, and what (if anything) is so different from last season’s close-but-no-cigar campaign?

Control

Leeds’ remarkable dominance at the start of this season can be contributed to the three ‘C’s - control, create and convert. The immense control Bielsa’s side have maintained throughout each of their opening six matches deserves highlighting.

Leeds have shown the same aggression and intensity as we have come to expect to see from them so far under Bielsa, but are giving the ball away less often, and are starving their opponents of possession to an even greater extent.

Leeds’ improvement in the first six matches to that made twelve months ago is worth pouring over. Two of the most significant metrics, points and goals may be down, but we have seen chances created increase by 33.9%, chances conceded down by 46.7%, possession up 7%, touches up 15.1%, ball recoveries up 15.4%, take-ons increase by 62.9%, successful passes are up 27.5%, final third passes up 9.4%, pass accuracy up 5%, shot attempts up 38% and our xG raised by a whopping 89.2%. Now these numbers are seriously quite something.

Increasing Leeds’ possession share from last season’s 60% average is no easy task in the Championship, a division awash with possession-driven managers, but Bielsa’s squad have enforced a 7% increase to 67%, only Fulham (68.3%) have managed a higher percentage share of the ball in the division.

Sceptics will no doubt argue that possession doesn’t win games, but Leeds have shown they intend to have possession with purpose. Scott Parker’s Fulham side may have enjoyed the highest share of the ball, but they are averaging 59 passes per chance created this season. Leeds have been much more creative with the ball, conjuring up a chance every 43 passes.

On the ball, Leeds are averaging 15.3 passes per minute of possession in 2019/20, an increase on 14.2 last season. Fulham may well have made the most passes per minute of possession (17.6), but the Cottagers are simply not as creative as Bielsa’s outfit.

Leeds’ increased possession share has had a dramatic impact on helping to tighten control on games by restricting opponents to having less of the ball and conceding fewer chances. Leeds’ control has evidently minimised the threat posed by opposing sides. So far, the club have conceded the fewest goals in the division (3), kept 3 league clean sheets and faced the fewest shots on-target (11) in the division.

Leeds have also allowed just 21 successful opposition passes to be into the penalty area, the lowest tally in the Championship. When a side is conceding just 3.5 successful passes per game into your penalty area, you know your defensive strategy is working effectively across the board.

Inspired by SofaScore’s superb Attack Momentum feature, I mocked up a Momentum chart (above) for Leeds’ first six league matches this season, in chronological order from left to right. Leeds (in white) have conceded minimal concessions and have controlled large periods of their matches.

Leeds’ opponents (in red) have created just 24 chances between them (average of 4 per game), with Bristol City enjoying the most dominant phase of play in the first match of the campaign. The white peaks on the graph help emphasise just how much dominance Leeds have enjoyed so far, and a deliberate trend that looks very much set to continue.

The Rosario-born head coach recently emphasised how his side were not conceding possession easily, something the numbers also support. Leeds’ first six opponents last season made 80 interceptions collectively, a number that has significantly dropped by 26.3% to 59 in Bielsa’s second season in charge.

At this stage last season, Leeds had conceded 45 opposition chances, a figure that has dropped by 47% to just 24 this campaign. Our expected goals against value (xGA) was 5.5 after six matches 12 months ago, that has also seen a sharp 38% drop to just 3.4. These are huge gains without the ball.

Bielsa reinforced the point that his side are no longer a team that gives possession away cheaply. When it comes to ball losses, Leeds lost 104.5 per 90 minutes last season, a number that has dramatically dropped to 95.8 per 90 this season.

All positive signs that Bielsa has tightened the reins and shortened the possibilities of dropping points. After an intense pre-season, the players also look fitter, sharper and leaner, with the vast majority of them now well versed in the gospel of Bielsista.

Two standout performers who have excelled early on are Kalvin Phillips and Ben White. The Leeds duo are excelling with their distribution, completing more successful passes than any other players aged under 24 in the Championship this season (Phillips 348, White 346).

The Jewel in Bielsa’s Crown

Kalvin Phillips has the adoration of the entire club fan base, a local lad who has been at the club since the age of 14 and has become £20m+ midfield enforcer. His enormous progression under the stewardship of the Argentine head coach has been the most impressive in the squad.

So much so, that Phillips is now widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in England outside of the Premier League, and a potential future England international.

This season he looks even more polished as part-deep lying defensive midfielder, part-third centre-back. He sets the pace and tone to Leeds’ possession, protecting the back line, patrolling midfield, turning over possession, and constantly recycling the ball with an ever meticulous array of passing. Yet we have barely scratched the surface of his true value and contribution to this side.

Phillips has made 403 total passes this season, more than any Championship midfielder in 2019/20. Fulham duo Alfie Mawson (573) and Tim Ream (540) are the only divisional players who have attempted more. Phillips is not only excellent with the ball, he is a supreme ball-winner who has won 28 tackles, more than any other Championship player this season.

Bielsa often entrusts Leeds’ number 23 to play a very specific role in matches, to man-mark an opposing number 10 and nullify their threat. Just ask Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish, who created just 1 opportunity and failed to make a single touch inside Leeds’ penalty area when the two sides met in April.

The 23-year-old has also made 49 ball recoveries, more than any other player at the club in 2019/20. Phillips’ rapid development He averaged just 32.5 passes per game in 2017/18 pre-Bielsa, compared with 67.4 this season. His pass accuracy has increased from 72.4% to 86.4%, long ball passes have gone up from 2.1 to 7.3 per game, and tackles won have risen from 2.6 to 4.7 per game.

He also made 10.4% of Leeds’ total passes last season, the largest share by any player at the club. He also made the most ball recoveries (321) and won the most tackles for Leeds last season.

Leeds have won 113 tackles this season, the 4th-highest figure in the division, a number that is understandably lower at 18.8 per game compared to the 19.6 made last season due to the club’s increased possession share.

The Emergence of Ben White

Leeds have enforced an increase on the 9.9 interceptions per game they made last season to 10.8 in the current campaign. The club were ranked 15th for this metric in 2018/19, but are now up to fourth with a total of 65.

Ben White, the club’s loan signing from Brighton, has been largely responsible for that having made a staggering 38% of them. The talented ball-playing centre-back has earned rave reviews following a series of imposing performances, and his stats are equally as impressive.

White has made 25 interceptions in six Championship appearances, the best tally in the division, and 9 more than any other Championship defender (who as it happens is fittingly the player he replaced in Pontus Jansson with 16).

The 21-year-old, who has yet to make a senior start for Brighton, has made a meteoric rise through the divisions following loan spells with Newport County in League Two and Peterborough in League One over the last two seasons.

This year, he has arguably been Leeds’ standout performer in the Championship. The young defender’s stellar form was recognised by being awarded the PFA Fans' Championship Player of the Month for August. The first of many if he maintains this form.

White’s style of play blends a mix of calmness and intelligence, and is one that fits perfectly within Bielsa’s expansive style of play. Reminiscent of a young Jonathan Woodgate, nothing seems to faze him. We have already been treated dummies, take-ons, perfectly weighted long forward passes into the final third, timely interceptions and crucial last-ditch blocks. A perfect defensive partner for club captain Liam Cooper.

The Leeds head coach expects nothing less than his centre-backs being exceptional distributors of the ball, something that comes naturally to White. The Dorset-born defender has completed 87.6% of his passes in the Championship this campaign, only Adam Forshaw (90.8%) has a higher percentage for the club by players having made more than three league starts.

The defender’s technical ability has enabled him to attempt 84 progressive passes this season, no Championship player under the age of 22 has managed more. White continues to excel in several metrics across the division. The talented centre-back has also made a total of 44 ball recoveries this season, only Kalvin Phillips has made more for Leeds (49).

White has also completed 346 successful passes, which is the most by any Championship player under 24, and he is also amongst the top 4 players in the division for most ball progressions (446).

Few envisaged him to be an automatic starter for Marcelo Bielsa’s promotion hopefuls, yet he has slotted in flawlessly into the first eleven and made that spot his own, and has already helped keep four clean sheets. Bielsa even turned to White when trailing 0-2 to Stoke at home in the Carabao Cup, coming on at half-time in place of Jamie Shackleton to shore up the defensive line. He ensured Leeds did not concede again that night.

Bielsa was at a loss to explain how he thought opposing managers would set up their teams to play his Leeds side by playing on the counter and exploiting individual mistakes. Such a negative strategy goes against every fibre of the managerial cult figure’s philosophy. The Argentine is a bold, revolutionary coach with an obsession for attacking football.

Arguably Leeds’ most impressive defensive performance this season came during their 1-0 victory over Brentford. The Bees failed to register a single shot from inside Leeds' penalty area, and completed just one pass into the penalty area. Thomas Frank’s side registered an xG of just 0.24, and failed to complete a successful cross from open play throughout the game.

Bielsa’s plan effectively neutralised a tough opponent for the duration of the entire game. Reducing a well regarded side with an attractive, attacking style of play to such a minimal offensive output is some achievement, and one that requires an enormous amount of planning, preparation and execution to achieve.

The former Chile manager’s match plan against Swansea did not provide the same outcome, but Leeds will not deviate from their style of play. Stuart Dallas said the same following Leeds’ first league defeat of the season: “We’re not going to change our way, we’re going to continue to play, continue to pass and move, we just couldn’t get that final touch.”

Leeds’ relentless high pressing of opponents certainly won’t change anytime soon. Wyscout’s Challenge Intensity metric can fairly depict how effective a team’s pressing can be, and combines duels, tackles and interceptions per minute of an opponent’s time in possession. Leeds have a Challenge Intensity value of 8.7 this season, only Barnsley (9.1) can better that. That is a slight reduction on the 9.3 made last season, which was the highest in the division, but a small decrease that is in line with the club’s increased possession share.

Create

The Whites are the most creative side in the Championship, with Bielsa setting up his Leeds side to attack relentlessly, keeping the ball deep in the opposition half and creating a plethora of chances in the final third of the pitch. Leeds having constructed 79 chances (68 short, 11 long) in their opening six matches, 6 more than second-most West Brom (73).

Leeds also topped the creative metrics last season, with the club’s Spanish playmaker Pablo Hernandez producing a total of 122 chances created last season, more than any other player in the division. An extraordinary number that breaks down to 3.1 chances made per 90 minutes. Leeds fans can count themselves incredibly fortunate to have him in our ranks for another season.

In February, Bielsa described his playmaker has someone 'who makes the game more fluid. He has the skill to put the ball in the zone where it’s more difficult for the opponent to recover it. His calm and serenity help us a lot.'

Another player Leeds heavily rely upon for creative inspiration is Polish international midfielder Mateusz Klich. He has created 17 chances this season, only Reading’s John Swift has accumulated more (23). All 17 of those chances were created from open play (17), more than any other player in the division.

To say Klich plays an instrumental role in this Leeds side would be a criminal understatement.

He also brings out the best in Pablo Hernandez, and has conjured up 6 of his 17 chances for the former Valencia winger this season, more than any other player at the club.

The 29-year-old is an incredibly athletic, industrious midfielder who plays a leading role as the key link between Harrison, Forshaw, Hernandez and Bamford in the middle and final third of the pitch.

Klich’s energy, movement and work rate can often go unnoticed. His constant movements find pockets of space in which to receive the ball or to pressurise opponents. The former FC Twente midfielder ranks fourth in the Championship for expected assists with 2.07. Klich’s intelligence with the ball is a key ingredient in this side, having made 14 deep completion passes, only teammate Pablo Hernandez has accumulated more in the division (16).

The Polish international has an enviable record of having been directly involved in 20 goals in 54 appearances (league and play-offs) for Leeds. A splendid return for a player who scored 10 goals in a single campaign for the first time in his career last season.

There is no greater compliment from Bielsa than to have played Klich in every league match since his appointment. A remarkable contrast to being frozen out and sent on loan to FC Utrecht by Thomas Christiansen two years previously.

Leeds unsurprisingly top several creative and attacking metrics, including having attempted more passes in the final third (409) than any other side in the division, 69.7% of which were successful.

Last season, Pablo Hernandez completed the most successful final third passes in the division (835). Klich also ranked in the top five players for the same metric with 666 passes.

This campaign, Leeds will likely continue to share the workload of chance creation rather than predominantly relying upon Hernandez and Klich to supply with ammunition. Jack Harrison is the third-most creative player at the club this season with 9 chances, Gjanni Alioski, Kalvin Phillips and Stuart Dalllas are next with 6 each.

The club’s current full-backs, Gjanni Alioski and Stuart Dallas, have created 11 chances between them, are naturally expected to increase that tally as the season progresses given their advanced positioning and contribution in attacking phases. It was no coincidence that both Dallas and Alioski registered their names on the scoresheet in the same game against Stoke, with Bielsa keen to maximise the output of his wing-backs going forward.

Summer signing Helder Costa has already provided three assists across all competitions this season, despite being reduced to an impact in the first month of the season. He is a tantalising prospect for Leeds, and a player that opponents fear the worst coming up against him. You would expect to see his contribution rise substantially in the coming weeks and months given his immense quality in direct style of play in wide areas.

Leeds have created 14 big chances created, 3 more than any other Championship side. Opta define a big chance created as “a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one on one scenario or from very close range when the ball has a clear path to goal and there is low to moderate pressure on the shooter.”

Leeds also top the rankings for progressive passes in the Championship, racking up 579, 52 more than next placed Brentford. WyScout defines a progressive pass as “a pass that considerably moves the ball forward towards the opposition goal (30+ metres if it starts or finishes in own half, 15+ metres if the start and finishing points are in different paths, and 10+ metres in the opposition half).” A very specific metric, but a key one that helps us identify what types of passes the club are playing frequently. Bielsa’s side will regularly look to play fast, vertical passes between the lines to bypass their opponents.

(Image: Leeds United)

Stuart Dallas’s form has been inspiring since coming back into the side in February following a fractured foot injury. He will be relishing life at the club right now, and is a popular figure at the club who thoroughly deserves his new contract.

Liam Cooper was full of praise for best friend and teammate Dallas this week: “He amazes me and the boys. I don't think there's a position he can't play, I reckon he'd be decent in goal to be honest. He’d play with one leg if he had to, that's the type of player he is.‬”

Versatile Dallas has played an instrumental role at right wing-back for Leeds this season, and has made more progressive passes than any other Leeds player. He has made 90 in total, a figure only bettered by Fulham's Alfie Mawson (98). Unsurprisingly, Pablo Hernandez ranks fourth on the list with 85; Ben White ranks 13th (68) and Kalvin Phillips is 23rd-highest (57).

Leeds have also produced 51 smart passes this season, more than any other English second tier side. Wyscout defines a smart pass as “something more than a simple pass. There has to be some idea in the pass, something creative, when the player is cutting the lines and winning some advantage for his teammates with this pass, leading them in good position to attack. The pass should be between 2-3 opposite players.”

Pablo Hernandez has made 25 smart passes in the Championship this season, more than any other player in the division and accounts for 49% of Leeds’ total smart passes in 2019/20. Mateusz Klich is next on the list with 6 (joint-18th highest in the division). Hernandez also completed the most for this metric last season, producing 132 in total or 3.2 per game.

Bielsa’s Leeds also produce a high volume of through balls, and have executed 10.59 through balls per 90, more than any Championship rival, and a slight increase on their 9.2 per 90 last season.

A good indication of how well Leeds have probed defensive lines with passes are deep completions. These are passes that WyScout define as “forward passes that are played into an area and collected by a teammate 25 yards from the opposition goal.”

Leeds made 70 deep completions, only Brentford have managed more (76). The club’s leading creative duo, Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich, are at the summit of the Championship charts for this metric with 16 and 14 respectively. Jack Harrison also makes it into the top five with 12 deep completions. Once again, reinforcing the belief that Leeds are creating a sufficient quality of chances as well as quantity.

Analysing Leeds’ creative output during our 2-0 win at Wigan, Leeds had an expected goals value of 4.03. To put that into context, that is the highest value in any Leeds match through Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure. By comparison, Wigan had an xG value of 0.39, which statistically defines Leeds’ win at the DW Stadium as our most dominant performance under El Loco.

The above chart is a visual representation of the expected goals values in the Championship this season. It places Leeds as the outright best attacking team with an xG rating of 12.3. Again, these are immensely encouraging numbers, with Leeds slightly underperforming against their xG by 2.3 goals.

Significantly, this is an 89.2% increase on Leeds’ xG rating of 6.5 after six matches last season. Defensively, Leeds can also boast a very low expected goals against value of just 3.4, the best defensive numerical value in the division by a considerable distance.

Leeds dominance in attacking phases can be broken down by which positions those phases have been created in. Leeds tend to centre their attacking play around their key conductor Pablo Hernandez, so the majority of the team’s positional attacks are made down the right channel (39%). 34% of Leeds attacks have come down the left flank, with 27% made centrally.

Hernandez has an enormous influence in Bielsa’s side, with most of Leeds’ attacking phases are centred around him. Pablo has adopted an incredibly interesting position for Leeds, predominantly placed on the right flank in theory, but a player who is free to successfully cut inside and create chances in and around the penalty area. That is where he is most effective.

His influence in this Leeds side can also be measured by the amount of space his movement and creativity creates for others. Opponents are often so focused on nullifying his creative output, that he often draws defenders out of position, creating pockets of space on the opposite flank and in central areas for which the likes of Jack Harrison and Mateusz Klich can operate in.

Hernandez and Klich are key cogs in pretty much all of Leeds’ attacking phases. Pablo was Leeds’ standout player last season, picking up the club’s Player of the Year award, despite his inexplicable exclusion from the Championship Team of the Year. Bielsa described him as “someone special in giving the last pass or the instruction of the ball.” Bielsa could not have described him any better.

The 34-year-old creative genius has executed 25 smart passes this season, 11 more than any other Championship player. He has also attempted the most through ball passes (23) in the league.

Leeds have so far proved extremely effective at creating a higher quality of chances created, and from various areas on the pitch. Not only are we executing a high volume of deliveries in half spaces around the penalty area, but there is an equal spread of passes played from left, central and right areas.

There is a high correlation of deliveries from both high inside the 18-yard box from the right flank, and deep passes inside the 18 yard box from the left flank. The vast majority of passes have been played into the central zone of the 18-yard box, which correlates with Leeds’ high proportion of central shots made within 12 yards of the opposition goal.

In terms of crosses, there is an exact even split of deliveries from the left and right flanks with 61 deliveries each. Bielsa’s side have attempted 122 crosses in total, a figure only West Brom have surpassed (130).

Leeds have created 18 chances from crosses this season, the third-highest tally in the Championship, although just 26.2% of Leeds’ total crosses have successfully found a teammate, only Reading (24.6) have a lower percentage share.

Leeds have also created 5 chances from corner set-pieces this season, the 10th-best return in the division. A surprisingly low number considering Bielsa’s side have been awarded 40 corners, the third-highest amount in the Championship, behind only Blackburn (46) and West Brom (45).

Leeds have three of the top six Championship players to have completed the most successful final third passes this season. Pablo Hernandez has completed 112 passes in the final third, the most by any Leeds player. Nothing new here, but it is interesting to see Adam Forshaw as the club’s second-highest contributor with (94).

The 27-year-old has been in magnificent form for the club this term. He was the fittest player in the squad when the players returned to begin pre-season training, and he has revelled in an integral central midfield role that sees him link defensive and attacking lines.

The former Brentford midfielder has completed an impressive 91% of his passes this season, the highest percentage by any Leeds player to have made more than three league starts. His work rate too has been exceptional. Against Stoke, he managed to make the most touches on the pitch (103), complete 81 of his 87 passes, make 8 ball recoveries, register 3 shots, win 2 tackles and create 2 chances. His all-round game right about now (with the exception of goals) is firmly on point.

If his range of passing has been a joy to watch, his shooting has been incredibly frustrating. We all want to see him to get on the scoresheet, yet Forshaw has yet to score despite having made over 50 competitive appearances for the club. He came mightily close to breaking his duck on four occasions already this season, but has managed just 6 of his 12 efforts on-target. Surely it is only a matter of time before a goalless run that stretches back to April 2016 comes to an end.

In the meantime, Forshaw is relishing playing under Bielsa, absorbing every bit of information to his benefit. He has nothing but praise for his revered head coach: “He's improved me as a player, definitely. He's making me feel like I would to like to be a manager. He's brought a lot of things to my game which I feel I could take into management one day. He's made me feel about the game differently.”

Convert

So we know Leeds are the most creative side in the division. The Whites have also attempted 106 shots, more than any side in the English second tier this season. So why aren’t they top of the Championship?

Leeds have significantly increased their efforts on goal thanks to the bountiful supply of chances from several key players. Bielsa’s side are averaging 17.7 shots per game, up from 17.2 average throughout the whole of 2018/19.

Leeds have attempted 40 of those shots from outside the box this season, only Cardiff have managed more (41), naturally the xG values and chances of scoring are reduced given that 38% of their total efforts are registered from some considerable distance.

Closer to goal, Leeds have registered the most shots from inside the six-yard box (12) in the division this season, and as a result have scored a divisional high 5 goals from the same area. We have seen a substantial increase in shot attempts from the six-yard box compared with last season, averaging 2 shots per 90 compared with 1.1 last season.

Perhaps Bielsa has taken a leaf out of Chris Wilder’s blueprint at Sheffield United last year. The Blades sealed promotion having registered the most efforts in the six-yard box (80) in 2018/19. No side scored more goals than Wilder’s side (25) from the same zone. Two words: Billy Sharp.

Leeds have scored 10 goals this campaign, which is the joint-fifth highest tally in the division. Five of those goals (50%) have been scored in the six-yard box, the most by any side in the division. A significant rise in close-range finishes when compared to the 27% of goals Leeds converted inside the six-yard box in 2018/19.

Bielsa’s side have attempted 31 shots on-target, the joint-highest frequency in the division. Significantly, Leeds have registered 12 efforts from inside the six-yard box, more than any other side in the division.

Opponents have preferred to drop deep and to deploy low defensive blocks in order to reduce Leeds’ efficiency in front of goal. The Whites’ frustrations are evident in their blocked shots and efforts from range. 37% of Leeds’ efforts have been made from outside the area, registering a total of 40 shots beyond 18 yards from goal, a figure only Cardiff has surpassed (41). The Championship’s third-placed side last season have also seen 29 of their shots blocked, the third-most in the league.

Leeds’ efficiency from set-pieces could do with improvement, having managed just 15 shots from set-pieces scenarios, only Charlton and Huddersfield have managed fewer (9). Bielsa’s side have scored from one set piece this campaign. Patrick Bamford dispatching a left-footed finish from two yards out following a corner against Wigan, his second goal of the game.

To briefly summarise set piece goals for and against Leeds this season, the club have conceded twice (both from corners) and scored once. Last season, Leeds scored 17 (10 from corners) and conceded 21 set-piece goals (6 from corners).

Leeds’ current conversion rate from total shots this season is 9.4%, a minor 0.1% improvement on 9.3% throughout the entirety of last season. The Whites scored 76 goals from 819 shots (league and play-offs). There was also a significant difference between the conversion rates between the first (10.6%) and second halves (8.1%) of the 2018/19 season. Frustrating reading indeed.

Based solely on shots on-target, Leeds have a 32.3% conversion rate this season, an increase of 2.1% from the 30.2% rate in 2018/19, but a long season lies ahead.

Last year, Norwich converted 17.7% of their chances (93/525) and Sheffield United scored from 17.3% (78/450). Leeds were left scratching their heads with a 11.4% chance conversion rate having scored 73 goals from a staggering 638 chances.

The early signs this season are encouraging though, with Leeds converted 12.5% of their chances created. Having said that, scoring 10 goals from 106 shots this season means that our current conversion rate is down 9.4% on their first six matches in 2018/19 (18.2%).

This season, Patrick Bamford is tied with Hull forward Jarrod Bowen and Brentford’s Sergi Canos for the most shots (22 each) attempted in the division.

Bamford leads the charts for the most shots for Leeds (22), closely followed by Pablo Hernandez (19). The former Middlesbrough forward has also attempted six shots inside the six-yard box, no player has managed more. The former Chelsea forward has also registered 14 shots from inside the 18-yard box, only Derby forward Martyn Waghorn has more (18).

Bamford has so far silenced his critics by scoring 4 goals and is the club’s top scorer this season. He’s registered 40% of his efforts on-target, and is averaging a goal every 124 minutes played. He is clearly working hard to create space and to move into the right positions. He recently admitted he needs to work on getting into the box more frequently. Last season he managed the most touches per 90 inside the box in the division (5.7).

During Leeds’ 2-0 win at Wigan, Bamford displayed a genuine poacher’s performance by scoring twice from within a distance of 5 yards. Not only did he score from both of his efforts on goal, but he also registered a shot with each of his 4 touches inside the penalty area. Bamford is registering 4.4 shots shots per 90 this season, the third-highest figure for any Championship player having played over 300 minutes.

Bamford is a forward full of confidence in his own ability, and is registering a high volume of shots and maximising his touches inside the penalty area. He has also registered 12 shots off-target, only Brentford forward Sergi Canos has more (13). As long as his scoring prowess and final third contribution outweighs his efforts off-target, Bielsa and his coaching staff will be happy with him leading the line.

Leeds have completed 57 successful take-ons this season, a notable 63% increase on the first six matches last season. It is also the fourth-highest tally by any Championship side. Pablo Hernandez and Jack Harrison are placed in the top 15 Championship players for the most successful dribbles with 12 each. Stuart Dallas represents one of the biggest transformations in terms of their position and output. The experienced 28-year-old has completed 8 successful take-ons in six matches this season, he completed 10 in 28 league appearances throughout the whole of last season.

Bielsa can call upon a variety of quality options from the bench, talented Premier League standard players who can be introduced to directly change a game. Against Brentford, Bielsa introduced Helder Costa and Eddie Nketiah for Jack Harrison and Pablo Hernandez.

Their additions would see Costa provide an assist for the 20-year-old Arsenal loanee within four minutes of coming off the bench. Costa also attempted more take-ons (3) in 26 minutes than any other Leeds player managed throughout the entire match. These are the types of changes the club could only dream of making twelve months previously.

The Argentine also has Luke Ayling and Tyler Roberts to come back into contention, with both players returning to full training during the international break.

Highly rated teenage prospects Mateusz Bogusz and Jamie Shackleton have featured for just six minutes of Championship football this season, and Tottenham’s £10m summer signing Jack Clarke cannot break into the matchday squad. So there is clearly strength in depth to a relatively small squad in comparison to their divisional rivals.

The quantity and quality of Leeds’ creative output has been sufficient enough for the 64-year-old architect behind it all, who suggested a lack of fortune was preventing Leeds from maximising their points return this season.

The former Argentina manager struggled to explain how his side had lost at home to Swansea, despite dominating proceedings, enjoying a lion's share of possession and creating more that 12 chances. Bielsa may have tinkered with his formations this term, but he will certainly never alter his style of play.

Formation/Team Shape

It is easy to overlook the fact that Leeds have one of modern football's greatest visionaries at the helm. He is the sole architect behind our philosophy and style of play, and there are four cornerstones to Marcelo Bielsa’s footballing philosophy - movement, rotation, concentration and improvisation.

El Loco has always adhered to a “running is everything” philosophy. Something his squad will be well accustomed to by now. Bielsa’s incredibly fit group of players are able to ensure that rotation and mobility remain integral to the success of Leeds’ style of play, with players frantically interchanging positions and altering their formations throughout a game to overwhelm opponents.

The fluidity and mobility of Bielsa’s sides make naming formations in and out of possession almost redundant, with the Professor much more keen to tinker with individual player roles and their positioning as opposed to altering team formations as such.

(Image: Richard Sellers/PA Wire)

Leeds will always aim to attack with six players - one on the ball and five in support. Leeds have adopted a direct, attacking style of play, and Bielsa wants his players to take necessary risks in the final third, but will not tolerate concessions and to concede possession cheaply. We have seen Leeds vary up the tempo at which they play this campaign as they attempt to break down their opponents, but will always look to overload them in key areas.

Possession with purpose remains the key objective, and our 67% share of possession means that Leeds remain in control of their matches and act as the protagonist.

A remarkable statistic reads that Leeds have enjoyed the minority share of possession in just one of their competitive games since Marcelo Bielsa took charge, with that game being a 0-1 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last December. The Whites held a 44% share of the ball that day but came away with all three points thanks to Pablo Hernandez’s 82nd-minute winner.

Out of possession, Leeds will always have four players to defend. Bielsa confirmed this following Leeds 0-3 win at Stoke: "We have four players ready to defend. Then we put our players when we are in defence, where the opponent put their players to attack. We avoid to defend spaces where there isn't any opponent, then it takes a different shape in each game depending on this.”

This is where the fluidity and athleticism of Bielsa’s Leeds side comes into its own. His players are in constant motion, but always thinking of where to move depending on the positioning of the opponent. For all of the practise and repetition on the training ground, Bielsa also expects his players to be responsive to their counterparts in order to gain advantage.

Bielsa’s style of play can only succeed when every player is working in unison to maximise their performances. It is a holistic approach that ensures Bielsa’s Leeds will always be greater than the sum of its parts. There are no star individuals here, and no one is bigger than the club.

Every player is expected to play a vital role, even if they are not involved on the pitch. The Argentine head coach has always preferred to have a smaller squad at his disposal. A deliberate method that ensures no fringe players are left isolated to fester frustration or negativity towards others.

Bielsa’s electric brand of football at Elland Road has been more flexible in terms of tactical formations this season, and has been prepared to deviate from the 4-1-4-1 system deployed throughout last term. Leeds have recently adopted a 3-3-1-3 system with the ball, one that morphs into a 4-5-1 and even 5-4-1 out of possession with our wide players tucking in to form two banks of defensive lines.

We were also treated to a new 3-5-2 system against Stoke City, and a late variation of that late on at home to Brentford, when Eddie Nketiah was introduced to partner Bamford-Bamford to form a front fairing against the Bees’ trio of centre-backs.

Individual player responsibilities are given by Bielsa and his coaching staff as a preferred method of match preparation, choosing to adjust the positioning and requirements of each player instead of altering an entire formation. This way, even if the opposition knew Bielsa’s well documented early team sheet the day before a match, they would be unaware of any specific changes to that system and the roles of those players.

Bielsa explained how he tinkered his side during their 0-3 win at Stoke: "Today, Dallas played more on the side. Klich played further back and Pablo took more central positions.” This is a fascinating insight into Bielsa’s methods, adjusting the positioning of key players to maximise their offensive and defensive output.

In the same game, Jack Harrison was instructed to work closely with Gjanni Alioski on the left flank, dovetailing and interchanging positions throughout. Kalvin Phillips dropped deeper than his regular central position, and Adam Forshaw refrained from making his typical forward runs we are used to seeing from him this season. This ensure a carefully regimented and well constructed midfield system that dominated a densely populated midfield area and conceded very few concessions.

Leeds’ midfield are designed to interchange between each other, wing-backs Alioski (or Douglas) and Dallas will underlap and push into midfield and help to form formidable six-pronged attacking phases. We have also seen Pablo Hernandez deployed in a central role against Stoke, instead of his typical position on the right-side of midfield.

On the left flank, Jack Harrison has been tasked with at least three differing roles, staying wide and hugging the touchline, driving forward into advanced positions as a second striker, and to tuck back into position to form part of a compact midfield defensive line. His work out of possession also deserves praise, averaging 5 ball recoveries per game.

On the ball, the Manchester City loanee has averaged 2.2 successful take-ons per 90, a significant increase on the 1.0 last season. We need to see the 22-year-old have the confidence to drive at and take on opponents even more. The winger’s advanced positional changes have seen him make 25 touches in the opposition box, more than any other Leeds player this season, and the 9th-highest tally in the division.

How Leeds fans would love to see an increased goals output from midfielders Adam Forshaw, Mateusz Klich and Jack Harrison, who have just one league goal between them this season. Goalscoring aside, Adam Forshaw has been in imperious form in midfield this season, dropping deep to receive the ball, carrying the ball forwards or spraying luscious passes out wide to his teammates.

The former Middlesbrough midfielder’s distribution rate is exceptional, completing 307 of his 338 total passes at an impressive rate of 90.8%, the highest percentage by any Leeds player to have made more than four starts in 2019/20.

Leeds will always look to try and work the ball down the channels, which is where the wing-backs come into their own. The likes of Douglas, Alioski, Dallas and Ayling are tasked with working the hardest in the side both with and without the ball.

The full-backs work in tandem with midfield and wide forwards to create rotational passing patterns, creating overloads and attempting to work the ball into the final third. Leeds’ chances have come from a variety of different areas, but are making a vast proportion of them from narrow and deep wide areas.

Pablo Hernandez is Leeds’ creator-in-chief, having provided 30 assists in the Championship since joining the club in 2016, more than any other player in the competition. He has also been directly involved in 57 goals in 120 Championship matches for Leeds. His influence on the side is immense, cutting inside and drawing in opponents in and embarrassing them for entertainment.

A double nutmeg against Bristol City’s Callum O’Dowda was a particular delight. So too were two exquisite long range passes against Stoke City, one of which was a delightful drive from 30 yards to tee up Stuart Dallas and open up the scoring.

Everyone wants to play alongside Pablo. Mateusz Klich and Patrick Bamford make a stern effort to stay in close proximity to him, and it’s easy to see why. When Pablo plays well, Leeds win. It’s that simple. The Castellon-born winger fashions chances for fun, and sometimes out of very little. Yet it is not just goals and assists Pablo is responsible for. He also plays a vital role by attracting defenders towards him and drawing them in, creating space for his teammates to exploit.

Elland Road's Spanish king is often seen played on the right side, his preferred position, but he was given a free central role against Stoke and relished acres of space in which he was allowed to operate.

Bielsa’s side either look to play directly through the lines with fast, vertical passes, but are more likely to push the ball out wide and get the wing-backs on the ball to link up with midfielders and create rotational movements and interchanges. Full-backs and wingers on the opposite channel will then look to exploit the space created, which allows Leeds to switch play and stretch their opponents.

The above graphic depicts the average player positions against Swansea. Notice how bunched Bamford, Klich and Hernandez are together. Connect Dallas, Phillips and Forshaw to that passing web and you begin to see why Leeds are so difficult to prevent from fashioning opportunities for themselves.

Leeds have become an incredibly difficult opponent to compete against. They will always relentlessly compress their opponents and suffocate them of possession. Their remarkable mobility and work rate creates space and wreaks havoc with opponent’s defensive marking. If teams decide to press high and commit numbers forward, Leeds would exploit the space created in behind. Phillips, Forshaw and Klich have mastered this art as the central spine of the team.

The problem Leeds have encountered, in particular at home, are opponents deploying low defensive blocks and condensing their lines to form two banks of defensive lines with no space in between. Creating space is fundamental for Leeds, who operate at their most effective when given plenty of it to operate and run in to. Leeds are one of the most creative sides in wide areas, where wing-backs and wide forwards will regularly interchange and swap positions with each other in a series of fast, one-touch combinations to bypass their markers.

Bielsa is well known for his preference of playing vertical football, which is essentially shifting the ball at pace from the back line to the final third as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Stuart Dallas has been the best example of this particular pass for Leeds this season having made more progressive passes (90) than any other player at the club. Pablo Hernandez (85), Ben White (68) and Kalvin Phillips (57) also rank highest for the Whites in this metric.

Kalvin Phillips sits at the base of Leeds’ midfield, acting as the catalyst for attacking phases, and always ready to engage opponents without it. Phillips has made 49 ball recoveries in the Championship, more than any other Leeds player this season.

Phillips has also won 4.7 tackles per game, more than any player at the club. He will also push forward into midfield and become part of a fluid unit in the middle that recycles possession. This is a department in which he excels in, having made 403 passes, more than any other Championship midfielder this season. Out of possession, the 23-year-old will also drop in between the centre-back pairing of Liam Cooper and Ben White to form a back three.

Kalvin Phillips has won 28 tackles this season, more than any other Championship player.



Kalvin Phillips has also made more passes (403) than any other Championship midfielder this season.



Best defensive midfielder outside of the Premier League in England. #LUFC #MOT https://t.co/do4Gn8LEAn — LUFCDATA (@LUFCDATA) September 9, 2019

Cooper and White have formed an impressive centre-back partnership. Cooper, Leeds’ respected club captain and loyal servant of five years, has won 5.2 aerial duels per game this season, substantially more than any other player at the club. White, the 21-year-old loanee has grown from strength to strength, making more interceptions (25) than any other Championship player.

The English defensive duo have helped keep three clean sheets, and have completed 87% of their passes between them. Both play a key role in breaking into space, cutting through opponents and helping to form rotational passing routes with midfield.

Stuart Dallas, a natural winger, has been playing out of position as a right wing-back due to an injury to the club’s first choice Luke Ayling. He has produced a series of outstanding displays and has become one of the most consistent performers in the team.

The Cookstown-born winger has scored 4 goals in his last 9 appearances, and his influence in both attacking and defensive phases has been phenomenal. Dallas had made 516 touches for the club this season, more than any other Leeds player. Bielsa described Dallas as a “full-back with high arrival into the opponent half or a winger who plays a little bit higher.”

The Northern Ireland international has also completed more successful opposition half passes than any other Championship defender (141). His exploits don’t stop there either. The 28-year-old ranks in the top four defenders for most successful final third passes (67). The versatile winger also makes the top-five Championship defenders for the most completed take-ons (8).

Dallas has made the most dramatic of transformations, now heavily involved in each game, in a new position and developing a good relationship with Pablo Hernandez ahead of him. His passes per game have gone up from 25.8 to 56.8 this season, pass accuracy is up from 76.3% to 80.6%, chances per game up from 0.6 to 0.8, successful take-ons per game up from 0.4 to 1.3, shots per game up from 1.2 to 1.7, and interceptions per game have increased from 0.6 to 1.2.

Bielsa has some serious talent at his disposal this season, and perhaps Helder Costa is his biggest weapon. The Portuguese winger poses a direct threat to opponents, a game changer who has yet to start a league game for Leeds, but looks destined to terrorise opposition defences for the next few months. The 25-year-old has created 3 chances created and provided 1 assist in 91 minutes of Championship football from the bench. The Wolves’ loanee has also shown flashes of brilliance, completing 5 of his 7 take-ons for the Whites.

Familiar Frailties

Leeds formidable defensive unit has been breached three times this season, with two of those three goals conceded at Elland Road and originating from corner set-pieces. All three goals the Whites have shipped have also been scored in the final quarter of matches (76 minutes onwards).

Lewis Grabban scores from 3 yards out to rescue a point in West Yorkshire, before Wayne Routledge’s scuffed right-footed effort somehow squirmed its way through a crowd of defenders with 90 minutes on the clock.

Leeds repeatedly failed to clear their lines and conceded the deciding goal in the quaternary phase of play. A frustrating late winner against the run of play throughout but all the while inevitable.

Bielsa referred to the chances Swansea created originating from set-piece corners, but the second and third balls following those deliveries: “The chances the opponents had were in relation to corners, but not directly the corners, the second balls after the corners.” This is clearly an area of frustration, and Leeds certainly lack height defensively in the box.

The Swansea defeat was the first time since New Year’s Day that we had conceded consecutive goals from corner set-pieces. Another of Leeds’ main vulnerabilities is being susceptible to counter-attacks. Against Swansea, Steve Cooper’s side made 5 counter attacks with one resulting in an effort on goal. 33% of counter attacks faced by Leeds this season have resulted in a shot faced.

For all of Leeds’ dominance in their opening six matches, they have attempted 6 shots from counter attacks and faced 5 from their opponents. Our most effective offensive performance on the counter was against Bristol City, where we registered efforts on goal with all four of our counter attacks.

Swansea head coach Cooper admitted felt his side could expose a weakness in Leeds’ side by exploiting spaces when Leeds are pressing: “We felt there were spaces with their clear way of playing, a good way of playing, but we felt there were certain parts of the pitch around the deep midfield where we could get into pockets and turn and hit them on fast attacks."

This will likely remain the biggest areas for opponents to target, either in between defensive and midfield lines, or in behind the marauding full-backs down each channel.

Bamford v Nketiah

This is the type of debate Marcelo Bielsa will be relishing with his coaching staff this season. It is every manager’s dream scenario to have two forwards in clinical form and competing with each other to start.

Patrick Bamford has silenced his pre-season doubters by being directly involved in 5 goals in 6 matches this season (4 goals, 1 assist). Significantly, Leeds’ number nine also has an expected goals value of 4.45, only Derby forward Martyn Waghorn has a higher xG (4.82), and he has scored only 3 league goals in 2019/20.

Former Middlesbrough forward Bamford scored twice from both shots on-target against Wigan. He also registered a shot with each of his 4 touches inside the opposition box. It was the perfect poacher’s performance, and one that clearly demonstrated Bamford’s prowess in the penalty area.

Forwards need to be in the right place at the right time, and Bamford’s positioning and anticipation ensured his scored both of those goals within five yards of goal. The former Chelsea forward works hard for the side, dropping deep to receive the ball and link up with the likes of Klich, Forshaw, Harrison and Hernandez.

Below is Bamford’s heat map against Stoke (courtesy of SofaScore), which helps emphasise how deep he is willing to drop to pick up the ball and support his teammates. He made just 3 of his 22 touches inside the opposition box including his 66th minute goal.

The 26-year-old forward has registered 22 shots in total this season, and is tied with Jarrod Bowen and Sergi Canos in the division this season. He has also attempted 6 shots from inside the six-yard box, no player has more. He is averaging 3.7 shots per game and 0.7 goals per 90. Bamford is averaging a goal every 124 minutes this season and registered 40% of his shots on-target.

Everything Eddie Nketiah touches turns to goals this season. The Arsenal loan star scored twice for the England's U21s in a 3-2 victory over Turkey in Istanbul, which took his seasonal tally to 5 goals in 6 matches already for club and country this season.

The 20-year-old starlet is averaging a goal every 75 minutes of football for Leeds in 2019/20, and has scored 3 goals from 4 shots on-target for the Whites across all competitions.

He has directed 67% of his efforts on-target, and looks destined to produce a flurry of goals for the club this season. His positive movement and positioning immediately stand out when watching him play.

He plays on the shoulder of defenders, anticipates spaces in between defenders and patiently waits to pounce. His movement for the goal Brentford was first class, and his direct, fearless approach combined with a killer first touch makes him a nightmare to play against.

Nketiah has an xG value of 2.31 compared with Bamford who has a 4.82. However, when comparing their average xG per game in the Championship and Carabao Cup matches this season, Bamford has a rating of 0.75 and Nketiah eclipses it with 0.83.

So far, Leeds’ forward pairing have played together for just 14 minutes, a spell in which Nketiah netted a late winner against Brentford. Bielso brought on the Arsenal loanee which doubled his attackers against a trio of centre-backs.

So there is certainly an argument worth having in playing both forwards together in the same side instead of like-for-like changes. The counter argument to playing two up top would be whether sacrificing a player from Leeds’ robust defensive or midfield engines would pay off over the course of 90 minutes. It is a risk versus reward decision, but Bielsa will know he has two leading contenders who are full of self confidence.

Summary

Leeds have made huge early gains across multiple metrics this season, and the club’s league position should soon reflect our performance levels should we maintain or improve them further.

Leeds remain title favourites, and we have seen how Marcelo Bielsa’s minor adjustments have produced significant effects. Despite opponents having over fourteen months to study Bielsa’s football model at Elland Road, their style of play and all strengths and weaknesses, Leeds have somehow created even more chances, increased their share of possession, and attempted more shots than last season.

The Whites are more flexible in terms of team shape, and arguably have a higher calibre of game changers to influence matches when needs be. Leeds will need to show a more ruthless side in the coming months, putting away a higher volume of chance, and punishing those that seek to wait and expose them on the counter.

Leeds’ passionate technical director Victor Orta stater that continuity would be the club’s key ingredient for success this season, with Marcelo Bielsa in place for a second term and fans' favourite Kalvin Phillips extending his stay with his boyhood club. The squad have build on the physical and tactical foundation work put in place last season, and continuity is allowing this squad to bear the fruits of their labour.

Rarely has there been such an exciting time to be a Leeds United fan. No strangers to elaborate team goals being shared virally on social media platforms, Leeds are one of the most attractive teams to watch in world football right about now. A statement that still seems utterly surreal.

Continuity now will be key in maintaining our control going forward. We are creating a bountiful supply of high quality chances, now we just need to take the conversion rate up a notch.

The early signs have been extremely encouraging, and the club have once again set the early pace in the Championship. Dallas, Cooper and Phillips will no doubt have significant roles to play in maintaining that momentum.

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