The pitch was laid anew at Elland Road over the summer and was resplendently ready for the 2015/16 Championship season. Whilst it may need a trim to keep it in tip-top condition, what I am more concerned about is whether they should Mowatt?
OK, that was a cheap gag and a very laboured attempt at humour, but it does highlight my main concern for this article, namely whether youngster Alex Mowatt is worthy of a place in the current Leeds United starting 11. Leeds fans, often quick to anger, divisive with their opinions yet united in the face of external criticism, are divided in just how they view his contribution to a spluttering Leeds United effort in the opening 10 games of the new season.
When you read the words of the ever-so-wise FIFA16 and Football Manager aficionados in Facebook groups, aficiandos where opinion comes hand-in-glove with obligatory ‘my preferred line-up’ graphic, Mowatt is not up to the job. They point to a ‘career season’ last year where Mowatt scored nine goals and was often one of the Whites’ main attacking forces as a begrudging tip o’ th’ hat compliment. They then counter this with a raft of less than complimentary utterances, often accusing the young midfielder of having the speed and turning circle of an ocean-going cargo ship that is fully-laden. The punters over on Twitter, the armchair Twitterati are even more severe and visceral, their vitriol limited to 140 characters. They say he doesn’t track back, he doesn’t defend, can’t provide, is overweight etc etc…all the poison poured into 140 characters and usually NSFW in make-up.
Is there a grain of truth in the hyperbole about Alex Mowatt and his supposed limitations? I mean, successive managers have continued to pick him over last season and this; the line stretching from David Hockaday to Uwe Rosler and having many steps in between. Or is it more a case of the rosiness of last season impinging on and staining what has been an underwhelming start, by comparison, to Mowatt’s 2015/16 Championship campaign.
Last season – a ‘career season’ for Alex Mowatt?
There can be no doubt that Mowatt caught the eye last season, the nine gals he scored being testament to that. Thing is, what else did he shine in, what were his 2014/15 Championship returns? The following are shown in a per 90 format, in other words these would be what were expected of Alex Mowatt over the course of a typical 90 minute game.
- Passing: 39.6 attempts – 32.4 accurate passes (81.8% accuracy)
- Shooting: 1.5 shots – 1.2 outside area
- Dribbles: 1.1 dribbles – 0.5 successful
- Possession loss: 2.8 losses
- Interceptions: 1.3 interceptions
- Tackles: 2.6 attempted tackles – 1.7 successful tackles
Only as good as your last game.
As the old saying goes, you really only are as good as the last game that you play – both team and player. If that’s the case, then you can see where the Mowatt detractors are coming from. To say that his input into Saturday’s 2-0 defeat was disappointing would have lexicographers scurrying for their tomes to check the definition of ‘disappointing’. Put it this way, like a lot of 3 a.m. nightclub hook-ups, it wasn’t pretty and looked worse the next day.
- Passing: 15 attempts – 11 accurate passes (73.3% accuracy)
- Shooting: 1 shot
- Dribbles: 0
- Possession loss: 2 losses
- Interceptions: 0 interceptions
- Tackles: 0 attempted tackles
It’s definitely a tricky one is this one, akin to answering that questions that sends even the most fake-tanned of blokes drip white with fear when uttered from the lips of his missus. You know THE question, the one that we all struggle to answer – does my bum look big in this? I don’t answer that one, minefield of wrong involved and I struggle to answer this one. Which is why I’ve sneakily included a poll to see what you lot think.
https://www.wedgies.com/question/561405b22c419a1000004b0b
Data derived from WhoScored data for Leeds United player statistics 2014/15 and Leeds United vs Birmingham game 3 October 2015
