OPINION
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t like to change his starting line-up if he can help it.
It’s worked pretty well so far this season – Leeds are on top of the Championship and bookies favourites to win it.
However, they’re only there on goal difference from Swansea and they really should have clear daylight between them and their rivals.
Leeds have only conceded four goals all season – a remarkable statistic. They’ve also won all their away games.
They’ve been creating bucket loads of chances too – the joint-sixth most in Europe’s top-five leagues.
The trouble is, they’re not converting them.
Man City have scored 24 goals and Liverpool 17 in six games. Leeds have scored 13 in eight.
https://twitter.com/LUFCDATA/status/1176843995902877698
The striker that Marcelo Bielsa has preferred this season is Patrick Bamford, and he’s scored four in eight Championship games.
That’s not a bad record and he’s getting into plenty of goal-scoring positions. His xG for non-penalty goals is the highest of any striker in the Championship, according to the All Stats Aren’t We Twitter account.
This seems pertinent after the weekend. Championship Strikers Non-penalty goals v Non-penalty xG graph. {thread} #lufc pic.twitter.com/XnzhYgSwEK
— All Stats Aren't We (@AllStatsArentWe) September 24, 2019
That’s why Bielsa is keeping the faith with Bamford and he has said that sooner or later the striker will “improve his efficiency”.
The fact remains, though, that Nektiah is scoring way more per 90 minutes currently than Bamford is – 1.61 to 0.53, according to WyScout – and we think this efficiency means he has to start against Charlton.
One change has been forced onto Bielsa, with Helder Costa coming in for the injured Pablo Hernandez and Barry Douglas should replace Ezgjan Alioski.
We think those changes will guarantee more goals for Leeds and that’s what they need at the moment.
Leeds will undoubtedly suffer from a patch of bad form at some point this season and need a buffer at the top to protect themselves.
This is the team that will help provide it.
