Watching Mateusz Klich roam around at Nethermoor last night was a joy to watch. The Polish midfielder may have been up against non-league opponents but I’ve been there a few times now and seen players struggle on the tight pitch and physical attentions of a gritty side.
In reality Klich has had three game to impress Marcelo Bielsa and he has probably done just that. The stand-out player at both York City and Guiseley and a decent performance at Oxford United, he’s had his chance and like others in the second XI, he seems to have given himself the best possible chance of making it worthwhile.
You can only play those put in front of you and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him be involved early on in the Bielsa reign at Elland Road. His ability to take the ball in tight situations and move the ball through the midfield was refreshing to see. Where others such as Kalvin Phillips and Ronaldo Vieira aren’t known for their technical ability before their physical Klich is exactly that.
First goal for #LeedsUnited funny huh @lew_baker ?🤷🏼♂️😆😝 ⚽️ #getin w: Guiseley https://t.co/26ZFaj9B1p
— Mateusz Klich (@Cli5hy) July 26, 2018
Players have really been able to get close to him when he’s turned on the style in pre-season and you just need to look at the standard of players he is playing with to realise how effective he could have been in a stronger XI. Marcelo Bielsa has split the squad into two. One is a stronger XI, first-team players with no youngsters and the other is a young side with a few first-team, Klich being one.
The situation has given Bielsa a chance to see who from the second XI can really push for the first-team spots and a few have made their mark, Klich being one. Jack Clarke and Lewis Baker, along with Jamal Blackman and Ryan Edmondson have all impressed, Klich playing in both a centre-back role as well as the anchor in midfield.
The Polish deep-lying midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan in Holland where he helped Utrecht have a strong finish, Klich being one of the stand-out players in the run-in. He barely got a chance in the first-team under Thomas Christiansen who chose Eunan O’Kane and Kalvin Phillips every week despite poor form and even at one stage, cracked ribs of O’Kane.
Klich Goal Against Guiseley⚽🔥#LUFC pic.twitter.com/Mpz63dEpOX
— lufcnews.co.uk (@LufcNewsEst2017) July 27, 2018
Klich did eventually get a chance, a trip to Cardiff City where Christiansen left the in-form Pierre-Michel Lasogga and star man Samu Saiz out of the side for bizarre reasons, Klich slipped on the halfway line and that led to a goal, despite half of the pitch being covered after the slip Klich barely kicked a ball again and was left with no choice but to leave in January, a twitter episode saw to his chances under Christiansen being cut from slight to none.
The season is about to kick-off, Leeds have to wait until Sunday 5th August to fact Stoke City at Elland Road. There may be a few surprises before that day, both on and off the pitch and Klich has given himself the perfect opportunity to be one of those surprise packages.
