The club is facing a huge test in the early part of the campaign against Yeovil Town after a miserable loss to Oldham, in which they were completely outplayed. While the club bellied about wanting to get out on the pitch right-away after being embarrassed at Elland Road, they will need to channel themselves effectively as Yeovil has got off to a fine start. While pundits have jumped on the bandwagon and proclaimed Leeds as the favourite to automatically advance, and in-consideration that they possess the best group of attacking players in the league, they need to play like it. If automatic promotion is to be realized, with a safe target of eighty-five points, you cannot afford to drop points in matches you're supposed to win and this is a match you need to win.
With the exclusion of Lee Peltier, Aidan Downes, and Kieran Murtagh, Yeovil Town starting grid is packed with well-seasoned, mature players that will not lose focus and know how to gut-out close matches. Yet while experience might be their strong suit, pace and fitness appear to be their biggest challenge and it is crucial for Leeds to exploit those and not to allow the tempo of the match to slow. Push the ball forward, make them chase in the channels and openings will continue to emerge throughout the match.
However for Leeds to do that, they will need to step outside of what has become a highly predictable attack so far as they are playing to speed of other clubs and not exploiting their own talents. It's obvious that the pacing of Robert Snodgrass and Fabian Delph are needed in the midfield and they must be "encouraged" to pick-up the tempo. As it relates to Fabian Delph, as I have said on numerous occasions, his time to be in the starting grid is now. If not more straight to the point, he'll be playing in either the Championship, if not the Premier League, next season and won't wait any longer, so you're either going to be with him or watching him. As it relates specifically to finishing, the predictability of the attack, poor decision making and movement without the ball is leading to insufficient production. The same weaknesses of movement and passing that existed in the Chester City Carling Cup victory were painfully obvious once again against Oldham and as they were left unchecked, it cost the squad three points. Luciano Becchio should be paired from the get-go with Jermaine Beckford in a supporting striker position and decision making in the attacking zone needs to be stressed. If there is a few basic notion that are lacking so far, Leeds needs to pickup the tempo and attack, attack, attack.
I will be posting a full review after the match concludes. Until then, We’re Marching On Together.