Leeds

Leeds United vs Preston – 4 things to look for

Tomorrow’s game at Elland Road brings yet another former Leeds United manager back to Elland Road to face the Whites as Simon Grayson’s Preston provide the opposition for Leeds United for Sunday’s 3p.m, kick-off.

Previously billed as a ‘relegation six-pointer’ by some, it seems that this is more of a ‘push towards the top half’ as a win and three points for Preston will allow them to leapfrog Leeds and move up to 14th, whilst a win at home for the Whites will allow them to move onto 29 points and into 12th in the Championship table. Rolling out the clichés, this is a game where there is all to play for and for both teams too.

The ‘old’ Leeds United might turn up

By that I don’t mean the famed 70’s team or the team of the late 90’s/early 00s, either of those teams would be more than welcome to rock up tomorrow and put in a shift. What I guess I mean is that old, disjointed, stuttering Leeds from earlier this season – Uwe Rosler’s Leeds United. Much was expected of them, much wasn’t delivered – well except disappointment and that came in spades. The ‘Uwe Rosler Leeds United’ played 11 games under the German who promised ‘heavy metal’ football but delivered ‘glam rock soccer’. Larger-than-life Steve Evans took over this ailing Leeds team on October 19 and there is a visible difference to the side.

  • Rosler’s Leeds United: played 11, won 2, drew 5, lost 4 – 1 clean sheet. Failed to score 4 games, scored 10 goals and conceded 15. Total points 11 – points per game 1.00. Relative position in the table – 18th
  • Evans; Leeds United: played 10, won 4, drawn 3 lost 3, lost 4 – 3 clean sheets. Failed to score 4 games, scored 11 goals and conceded 9. Total points 15 – points per game 1.50. Relative position in the table – 9th

Please, can the ‘old’ Leeds United with all its inconsistencies and frgaile weaknesses please stay where it currently resides.

A battle of goalkeepers: Silvestri vs Pickford

Preston first, Pickford is a real keeper who has been that trusted last line of defence behind an effectively organised back four. The Lilywhites are ranked 4th in the Championship, conceding only 17 goals over the season so far, backed by the 11 clean sheets kept by Jordan Pickford (52.38% of all Preston games have ended with Pickford keeping an empty goal); six of the Preston clean sheets have come away from home. The meanness of the Preston defence means that they have only conceded 27 on-target shots this season, around 1.29 opponent on-target shots per game, conceding only 0.81 goals per game.

Leeds now. For all his foibles and inconsistencies, Marco Silvestri is a gifted shot stopper and has proved to be so since he first pulled on the keeper’s jersey at Elland Road. This season he sits as the 7th-ranked keeper in ‘saves made’ in the Championship with 55 to his name. If you account for the total of on-target shots faced by Leeds United (79), then Silvestri’s 55 saves against 24 goals conceded represents a save% of 69.63% from all on-target shots. Leeds have been something of an aberration at Elland Road, keeping only one clean sheet at home and conceding 1.20 goals per game. However, Leeds have only conceded two goals three times with them only conceding once six times.

A striving vs a shrinking strikeforce.

Leeds United have begun to hit a goal vein of late which, whilst not rich, is providing some riches for the Elland Road outfit.Their last three scoring games has seen the Whites mark eight goals (three vs Wolves and Huddersfield and two vs Hull). This goal spurt, including the bringing down of highly-rated Wolves and Hull, has been on the back of some very enterprising football rather than individual moments of brilliance or set piece plays. At the moment, Leeds United and their strikeforce look like a unit that is growing and improving.

Preston, well Preston look like a strikeforce that are stagnating, drifting aimlessly at times. Managing only 12 shots per game, only 3.2 of these shots are on-target – meaning only 26.67% of Preston shots are on target during a typical game. Whilst the Lilywhites’ defence may be top four material, their strikeforce is relegation fodder after only scoring 17 goals so far this season. Preston came up from League One as the third most potent scoring team (79 goals) but this potency is sorely missing at the moment.

One for Preston to watch – Leeds United – Stuart Dallas.

Mr Provider rather than Mr Scorer – Dallas has only scored once this season (in Thursday’s 3-2 win against Wolves) but he has more importantly created four goals for other Leeds players – more than any player in Leeds’ squad last season. Dallas currently makes around 20 accurate passes from 27.3 attempts per typical 90 minutes, making one successful dribble per game. Dallas direct style of play forces opponents onto the back foot and it is something that Leeds fans are hoping that the Northern Ireland international continues to do, be the impetus that drives Leeds United forward.

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