Morning Leeds-in for 2 April: So, how good is Adam Forshaw, really?

Second time that Adam Forshaw hasn’t played in a match, and second time since Paul Heckingbottom took charge of Leeds that the team has won.

Wait, what?

So, some fans might be tempted to think that the team plays better without Forshaw than with him. After all, he didn’t play in the two matches that Leeds have won. However, the eye test would tell you that he’s an important part of the team, and one of the few bright spots in the lineup since he came over from Middlesbrough.

But what do the stats say? Luckily, Joe Urquhart from the Yorkshire Evening Post has us covered:

He averages a pass completion rate of 85.7%, which is the highest of any other player in his position, and completes on average 49.9 successful passes a match compared to Phillips (30.2), Vieira (35.2) and O’Kane (41.6).

The former Boro man also boasts the highest amount of completed tackles (3.4) on average and successful aerial duels won (2.8) of his peers. Going forward Forshaw is also top of the charts in averaging the highest amount of key passes per game completing 1.2 compared to Phillips (0.6), Vieira (0.4) and O’Kane (0.5) who aren’t as productive.

So the stats are telling us the same thing as the eye test, that Forshaw has been the most productive central midfielder on the pitch since joining Leeds. So perhaps once he’s fit again, the team can win a match or two, okay?

On to the links.

Leeds United Links

We’ve been forgetting that Ronaldo Vieira is a only a teenager. [Yorkshire Evening Post]

Ross McCormack said what every Leeds fan wanted to say to Neil Warnock before Warnock was sacked. [Planet Football]

England and English Football Links

Tottenham Hotspur won at Stamford Bridge for the first time in decades, beating Chelsea 3-1 and leaving their London rivals even further behind in the race for the top four. [Cartilage Free Captain]

Jermain Defore thinks he can play in this summer’s World Cup with England. Well, it’s important to believe in yourself, I guess. [BBC.com]

Arsenal didn’t get going until later in the match, but the Gunners beat Stoke City 3-0. Start programming your GPS for trips to Stoke for next season everyone. [The Short Fuse]

World Football Links

Fiorentina celebrated Easter by inviting the staff, players, and their families to the training ground to spend the Easter Sunday meal with the club at the Davide Astori training centre. [Football-Italia.net]

A Kévin Gameiro penalty was enough to for Atlético Madrid to get past Deportivo La Coruña. [Into the Caldreon]

A look at what AC Milan are missing in order to make a charge at the Scudetto. [AC Milan Offside]

Albacete’s Pedro Novo fell out of a hotel window before the La Liga 2 side’s match against Huesca. [BBC.com]