, Leeds United – a mistake to say it’s all about Chris Wood’s goals

Leeds United – a mistake to say it’s all about Chris Wood’s goals

It’s been something of a call-to-arms from various quarters that this Leeds United side are eventually doomed because of their over-reliance on the goals of Chris Wood. This ‘tunnel vision’ approach, declare the naysayers, is a recipe for failure.

It is true that Chris Wood’s league-leading 24 goals have been invaluable in dragging Leeds up the table from an early season relegation place to what is increasingly looking like a nailed-on promotion play-off place, you’d be a blithering idiot to state anything other than that. You don’t profit as a side if you can’t score and you reap a better harvest of points when you do score – it is that simple.

But to say that Leeds’ success is all down to just 24 instances of Kiwi Chris Wood slotting the ball in the onion bag, pull the other one. Saying that, stating that Leeds United are a one-man team beholden to his 24-goal scoring prowess, well saying that is a travesty to the other players in the side and playing around him on a match day.

Building from the back

Starting at the back, what about the back five? The defence has been a strong point for Leeds this season, something that seems almost alien to say when thinking of season’s past. Just looking at ex-England keeper Rob Green’s 14 clean sheets is enough to bear testament to this.

But in front of him is a line of four, a defensive line that has helped create that solidity at the back. Each and every one of them has helped lay this improved foundation for Leeds United’s performances this season. It’s not all about your Ayling, Berardi, Bartley and Jansson as individuals though – it’s a collective thing. The way that the back four have been playing and performing as a unit has contributed as much to the third-in-the-league set of 14 clean sheets as have been Rob Green’s heroics between the sticks.

Why have ‘double sixes’ is important

Then there’s the midfield engine room to consider, a midfield that has seen a serious tweaking over the course of the season and one that cannot be discounted. Garry Monk has installed two sitting midfielders in front of the central defenders, Liam Bridcutt being one, then a jobshare between the likes of Ronaldo Vieira, Kalvin Phillips and Eunan O’Kane.

If you look at the number of tackles completed, then Bridcutt comes in at #9 (71) and Vieira at #22 (53). Change to what tackles each of these can be expected to produce in a typical 90 minutes and it’s even more impressive with Bridcutt rising to #2 (4.1 tackles) and Vieira to #12 (3.1 tackles). As important as the defence are to clean sheets, so is the defensive midfield through protection such as that afforded by the likes of Bridcutt and Vieira.

A line of three is important too

Ahead of that midfield lock Leeds have employed an ‘attacking three’ strung out behind a lone Chris Wood. Their effectiveness shouldn’t be darkened in light of just how well Chris Wood is flourishing. Take Pablo Hernández for example, who has eight assists over the season – more than any Leeds player last season and the season before. Only three of those eight assists have led to goals by Chris Wood, Hernández providing just 12.5% of Chris Wood’s goals. His other five assists have been to Pontus Jansson (2), Kyle Bartey (2) and Alfonso Pedraza (1) – the four assists to defenders Jansson and Bartley helping to establish Leeds United as a force to be reckoned with at corners.

Other players who have played in that ‘attacking three’ have contributed 12 goals and 11 assists between them. Leading the way is Kemar Roofe (two goals and five assists), followed by Souleymane Doukara (five goals and one assist), Hadi Sacko just behind him (two goals and three assists), Stuart Dallas coming next (two goals and two assists), before loanee Alfonso Pedraza rounds things off (one goal).

So, Leeds fans, next time you hear someone give it the ‘Leeds are only where they are because of Chris Wood’ speech, take them quietly to one side and remind them that this isn’t the case. Remind them that Leeds United are not just Chris Wood, but are instead a team that has driven themselves up the table by working hard together.

In-text stats derived from Statbunker.com and WhoScored.com
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