This summer when Anton Stach completed his move to Leeds United, there was the feeling that the club had made a very big signing. The German midfielder’s arrival coupled with some other summer transfers was a good omen for fans.
Many thought Leeds were on the right path, considering that some recent promoted teams chose to spend their budget on Championship players. The Whites had a more measured approach in the market.
A mix of quality players and recruiting with the physical nature of the Premier League in mind has paid off in the early part of the season. Daniel Farke’s side have been able to pull off some surprise results so far.
Many did not expect Leeds to be where they are at this point in the campaign – the Whites are in 16th place, just above the relegation zone.
Anton Stach finds himself out of the Leeds United line-up
Leeds had a bright start to the early part of the season, as they racked up important results against Everton and Newcastle in the first few games. It became clear from the off that the recruitment was done properly.
Some new signings hit the ground running including Anton Stach and Gabriel Gudmundsson. But one of the key things early in the season was Daniel Farke’s willingness to tinker with the team.
The Fulham game after the international break saw a new front three in the team; Brenden Aaronson, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor. Ao Tanaka was also slowly phased out of the team for Sean Longstaff.
And it now looks like Anton Stach is the latest player to lose his place in the team. The German has now been on the bench for the last two league games. His numbers since the Wolves game have also been really poor.
| Opponent | Passing Accuracy | Duels Won |
|---|---|---|
| vs Spurs | 70% | 4/7 |
| vs Bournemouth | 76% | 3/6 |
| vs Burnley | 86% | 1/4 |
Stach was bad on the ball, and was losing duels defensively in the three-game stretch after the Wolves game.
However, that has now been explained somewhat by the midfielder in an interview with German outlet Kicker.
“After breaking my little finger, I also broke a rib against Tottenham. I initially tried to keep playing,” Stach revealed.
“But you definitely feel an injury like that. For me, it was mostly a mental thing, because I automatically held back in challenges. The coaching staff still wanted me on the bench to support the team.
“The break did me good, and I got better day by day. Now I need a few training sessions to get used to the intensity again, especially in midfield, you have a lot of challenges and elbows can come in quickly.”
The question now is if Stach will come back into the starting line-up for Sunday’s crucial game against Nottingham Forest, with the dire display at Brighton on Saturday opening the door for his return.
Stach’s energy in midfield during the first five games of the season was vital, with the German becoming a cult hero with fans due to his tireless efforts on the pitch and artistic talent off it.
Before each game, Stach takes to his social media accounts to design a special match preview graphic with a twist, with his unusually quirky and comedic style bringing a smile to fan’s faces.
Daniel Farke’s tinkering could save the club’s season
Like it or not, the Leeds boss’ changes have seen some success for the team. The switch at Fulham lead to a great run of results where the team managed to create a lot of big chances against top teams.
| Opponent | Expected Goals Created |
|---|---|
| Fulham | 0.8 |
| Wolves | 0.5 |
| Bournemouth | 1.8 |
| Spurs | 1.7 |
| Burnley | 2.4 |
| West Ham | 1.5 |
| Brighton | 0.5 |
There are still some question marks about this team, but fans should have faith in Daniel Farke to turn things around. He has done well so far this season, but the next couple of games could be crucial.
Leeds face Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next five games.
It was glaringly clear that we missed a decent striker. We still do. Dare we use Harry Gray?
I would give Piroe a shout and then Gray. DCL and Nmecha are not going to keep us up