Football is back for Leeds United fans, and it’s going to be some game at Elland Road. Not too many tickets remain, Stoke City have sold their allocation out and two new coaches go head-to-head. Gary Rowett brings his Stoke City side to face Marcelo Bielsa and his first competitive game in English football.
Throughout pre-season I have been setting out “potential XI’s” but now the season is just one day away I will return to the old format, picking the tem I would like to see, rather than the team I expect to see. Will Bielsa go three or four at the back, that’s anyone’s guess. We do know Baily Peacock-Farrell will start as the number one and we do know Pontus Jansson will start on the bench, apart from that it’s anyone’s guess.
Preferred XI
GK – Baily Peacock-Farrell – The young keeper impressed massively last season, Paul Heckingbottom giving him the chance and he took it with both hands. This summer he has been helped by the fact that Jamal Blackman arrived later in the window. Marcelo Bielsa announced last night that Peacock-Farrell would be the number one to start the season.
RB – Luke Ayling – Basically a wing-back and probably the best player along with Mateusz Klich in pre-season. Under Marcelo Bielsa he will flourish, the high-press expected of the players means he will hopefully be able to stay up the pitch. If we go with three central defenders he will be playing as an out-and-out wing-back.
CB – Gaetano Berardi – Has been very impressive in pre-season playing at centre-back. Liam Cooper is expected to play alongside Pontus Jansson this season but for me Berardi is a better defender. Despite Bielsa saying Jansson will start on the bench he would be my choice alongside Berardi.
CB – Pontus Jansson – It doesn’t bother me that he hasn’t played for Leeds in pre-season, he has played in the World Cup and has trained through the summer. In a team with the likes of Afobe and Ince the task ahead is huge, Jansson would be ideal.
LB – Barry Douglas – Douglas may not have played a game under Bielsa yet but like the others who have arrived late he has had nearly a full pre-season at Wolves and fitness shouldn’t be an issue. Stuart Dallas has played well in pre-season but putting him up against the Stoke wingers is a different situation entirely.
DM – Kalvin Phillips – One of the players who Marcelo Bielsa clearly has a lot of faith in. Played him as a centre-back at times during pre-season and seems to be working on developing him. A player who divides opinion, Phillips has a big season ahead. No longer a youngster, this will be his third full season at this level.
CM – Mateusz Klich – Klich has really forced his way back into the plans at Elland Road. Dynamic as in he can do a bit of everything, will drop deep when needed to and can push on and create. Excited to see him and see what he can bring to the side this season.
RW – Tyler Roberts – Really impressed this summer and it feels like a new signing. Quick and direct but also fitted into the system. I have a feeling Gjanni Alioski will start the game but that isn’t for me, he doesn’t bring enough to the side going forward.
CAM – Lewis Baker – Probably the “unpopular opinion” but having watched Samu Saiz in pre-season something still doesn’t seen right. The fact he was hooked at half-time on Sunday and Baker came on, helping get control of the game spoke volumes. Saiz only played two full games in pre-season.
LW – Pablo Hernandez – The creative player last season when others went missing and now has competition for his place. Roberts, Saiz, Harrison, Alioski, Baker, Roofe and Bamford all competing for positions.
ST – Patrick Bamford – No messing about, he’s had a full pre-season and he’s ready to go. Roofe has played well to be fair and if he starts I can’t argue with that but I’d like to see Bamford up against the best defence in the league.
