OPINION
Leeds United are sitting pretty at the top of the Championship and there are only a few areas they could improve in to guarantee that stays the same in January.
While not a priority for Marcelo Bielsa, it seems like Leeds could benefit from a new forward particularly one who is different from the options they currently have on the club’s books.
This has especially become the case after the Whites manager recently shared that he had scouted all of his side’s opponents ahead of playing this season and the opposition will now likely mix their game up to catch him off-guard.
After all that is exactly what Stoke City boss Nathan Jones admitted to doing just that at the weekend in order for his side to defeat Leeds’ 2-1.
“It’s been well publicised that Marcelo has watched 26 Luton games,” said the Potters manager, as quoted by Leeds Live.
“He’s watched Stoke’s games too, so he’s well drilled on our what our formation is. So we thought we may have to give him a surprise because if he’s that well drilled on us, then they’ve had plenty of time to work on it and they know what they are doing. It would be a difficult afternoon.
“We felt that with their threats they’ve got and with no time to work with them really, so we felt to give us the best platform to win a football match we needed to be tactically right at it and I felt we were.”
Yet if Leeds’ opponent now cotton on to Bielsa’s successful formula completely and do their own detailed research to stop them playing the way they want, the manager is going to need a fresh option upfront.
As it stands his attacking options are all similar players and while his style of football isn’t glamorous reuniting with QPR forward Matt Smith would provide Bielsa with a plan B.
The 6ft 6in tall forward, who previously played 48 times for Leeds, recently revealed that he is enduring a “frustrating spell” at QPR in an interview with West London Sport, and that could given the Whites an opportunity to secure a surprise reunion.
Smith has an intimidating physical presence unlike Leeds’ other forwards and thrives off crosses being pumped into the box due to being strong in the air.
It’s easy to imagine the forward being a different option for Bielsa to take when his current forwards are having no luck trying to run in behind defences, and you can envision him scoring vital goals as a result.
Therefore Leeds must reunite with the currently frustrated Smith in January as signing him would provide a plan B and keep the club going strong.