Leeds United manager Daniel Farke hasn’t had to make too many changes to his team in recent weeks, partly because they have been playing well and also due to injuries to a few players. However, he may come under some pressure to make a huge change after the international break.
Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Leeds on Saturday ended the home team’s long run without a league defeat at Elland Road, and it also highlighted a few issues in the team that were going unnoticed.
Leeds created enough chances to score the goals to win the game against Spurs. They need to be more clinical in front of the goal, but some of the defensive personnel need to hold their hand up for a couple of poor errors.
Farke is not a fan of tweaking his defence, but the time has come for the Leeds manager to make a huge change, and it needs to happen against Burnley just after the international break.
Pascal Struijk needs to be replaced in the Leeds United defence
Pascal Struijk was pivotal in earning promotion for Leeds United last season and is desperate to prove himself in the Premier League this year.
He has a solid partnership with Joe Rodon at the heart of the Leeds defence, which has served the club well for over two years, and has looked steady in the Premier League as well.
However, Struijk’s performances have come under scrutiny, especially against Tottenham, where he played a small role in both the goals Leeds conceded.
He was not completely at fault for either goal, but the defender could have done a bit better to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net
Though it may seem harsh, top-level football is often decided by fine margins, and with Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser for Bournemouth included, Struijk has ended up on the wrong side of the last three such moments.
Time to unleash Jaka Bijol
Jaka Bijol was signed in the summer as a starting eleven defender and was seen as an upgrade on the defenders Leeds had in the squad.
However, he was suspended for the first Premier League game of the season, and that set him back as Rodon and Struijk have looked solid at the back.
Bijol has not played a single minute of Premier League football and has been warming the bench since arriving at Elland Road in the summer.
However, Struijk’s latest performances have left the door ajar for the Slovenian to come in and demonstrate why Leeds signed him from Udinese.
Farke is not prone to making changes to his defence, but not giving Bijol a chance anytime soon could be seen as favouritism, which could impact the spirit inside the squad.
Can you name the team Leeds United signed these players from in the 2000s?
