After what can only be described as a less than impressive start by The Whites, the Yorkshire giants now find themselves just three points off the play-offs and high-flying Newcastle in fifth.
Gary Monk’s men are on a run of four wins in all competitions and three back-to-back Sky Bet Championship wins, and are one of the form sides in the division.
The morale and energy from the whole squad seems to be very high, but here are 3 stand out players, in my opinion, in the Leeds ranks so far, who can take huge plaudits for the position that the club finds itself in.
Hadi Sacko
Creative, athletic, and more pace than to know what to do with. These are 3 incredibly valuable attributes to any winger from any club, and Hadi Sacko has them all in abundance.
Many were skeptical when the 22-year-old Frenchman opted to join Leeds on loan from Sporting Lisbon, but he has already proved his doubters wrong.
Sacko has one goal and two assists already in nine Sky Bet Championship games (with two appearances made off the bench) and is full of pace and skill.
Impressively he has also completed 25 dribbles in those nine games, just 30 shy of former Leeds star Lewis Cook’s tally from the whole of last season.
Leeds were crying out for a player of Sacko’s calibre last year, and with a rumored fee of around £3 million to make the move permanent Leeds could have a gem on their hands.
Pontus Jansson
Many clubs under appreciate the importance of a solid centre-back partnership, but Leeds have certainly boasted one of the best pairings in the league so far this year with Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson. However its Jansson who, in my opinion has stood out.
The Swedish powerhouse put in one of the best defensive performances seen by the Elland Road faithful away at Cardiff last week, and has provided calm, strength and solidity to a defense that was underwhelming last season.
The 25-year-old is on loan from Torino but if Leeds are again able to make the deal permanent Jansson could be a presence in the Leeds defence for the foreseeable future.
Chris Wood
The New Zealander has taken a fair bit of stick from the passionate Leeds fans since his arrival from Leicester in 2015.
The 24-year-old former West Brom man was accused of squandering numerous chances last season, however finished on a respectable 13 goals in all competitions and was Leeds’ top scorer for the season.
This year, however, despite receiving criticism again at the start of the campaign, Wood is one of the form strikers in the Sky Bet Championship, with 7 goals in 11 appearances in all competitions.
Wood is currently third in the Sky Bet Championship top scorers table, just 2 off the top, and is looking like one of the most lethal attackers in the league.
If the fans are able to build a connection with Wood, and he is given more service from midfield, Leeds could have a 20-goal striker on their hands, and who knows what they could achieve.
