Leeds United: Phil Hay admits the defence is becoming a larger problem

Phil Hay has claimed that Leeds United’s inability to defend is becoming an increasingly larger problem.

While a lot has been made about Leeds’ striker woes and their inability to sign one over the summer, Rodrigo and Crysencio Summerville have certainly helped quieten down those fears in recent weeks.

Now though, just as Leeds have appeared to solve their problems in the final third, it seems to have been at the expense of their defence, as they’ve now conceded 26 goals in their last 14 appearances.

Hay has highlighted the alarming stat surrounding Leeds’ defence and believes it is now ‘a big concern’ facing Jesse Marsch.

He wrote: ‘The striker issue hasn’t gone away, Jesse Marsch said last week, and he’s right, even though Rodrigo and Summerville are in the goals. But as big a concern as the break arrives is a defence which has stopped functioning – with 26 concessions in 14 games.’

TIF Thoughts on Leeds’ defence…

It may not be such a surprise to see Leeds struggling so much defensively given the high-profile errors someone such as Diego Llorente has made against the likes of Brentford and Everton, and also the fact Pascal Struijk has been playing at left-back for the majority of the campaign.

With a few weeks to now work with his players on the training pitch before club football returns post-World Cup, Marsch will know that getting players fit and becoming more solid at the back, while still being potent at the other end of the pitch is his biggest job.

Given how poor the numbers are for Leeds in terms of conceding goals, it could well be time for Marsch to try out some younger players such as Leo Hjelde.