The Euros are upon us. After being postponed last year, the long-awaited international tournament is set to take centre stage this summer.
But for many of us, club football still takes up a lot of our thinking as we prepare for the new season. So, one of the attractions of an international tournament often is watching your club’s players and seeing how they get along.
Leeds United have a whopping seven players set to feature in the summer tournament – the most in the club’s history. With representatives set to feature for the likes of England, Spain and Germany there’s a good chance a Leeds player could end the tournament as a winner.
To many people’s surprise Patrick Bamford was left out of the England squad as was Jack Harrison – the highest scoring English midfielder in the Premier League. But Leeds are still represented in the England camp by the brilliant Kalvin Phillips. If England finally live up to expectations, he might have a good chance of winning the tournament. As will Robin Koch with Germany and Diego Llorente with Spain. His inclusion means Leeds have more players in the Spain squad than Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Leeds skipper Liam Cooper will represent Scotland as they play in their first major tournament since 1998.
Wales’ Tyler Roberts, Poland’s Mateusz Klich and North Macedonian international Gjanni Alioski will also feature in the tournament.
All quality players who have shone in the Premier League this season, they’ll bring a touch of class to their international sides even if they’re asked to adapt tactically to a style of play removed from Marcelo Bielsa’s intense and attacking philosophies. So, today we’re looking at what we should expect from every Leeds United player at the Euros.
Gjanni Alioski – North Macedonia
This season, Alioski has played in 36 of Leeds’ 38 games establishing himself as a reliable figure for Marcelo Bielsa’s side even if he’s had to cover at leftback for much of the year. The move reduced his goals and assists to a modest five in total a drop off from the double figures he’s been recording consistently since he arrived at Leeds in 2017.
But, as one of North Macedonia’s key players and biggest attacking threats, expect him to be at the hub in attack rather than on the purifiers as has been the case at Elland Road this year ultimately throwing up questions over whether or not he’ll stay in West Yorkshire.
In general, he averages a goal every 163 minutes at international level. Interestingly, his creativity is much more minimal than you’d expect registering just two assists in the 10 qualifiers he played in for North Macedonia. However, his form was a little off in other departments too when representing his country on the way to the Euros. He scored just one goal during the qualification campaign.
However, the pressure of a tournament could very well bring the best out of him but he may once more find himself consigned to playing leftback for his country if his recent appearances in the Nations League are anything to go by.
But just how could he benefit the side from that role. Well, for Leeds this term he’s been a key passer registering an average of 38 passes per game in the league. He’s also been essential in enabling Leeds to quickly transition from defence to attack with 30 accurate long balls this season.
When at the right end of the pitch, he’s registered 62 crosses with a success rate of 23% conjuring up four big chances this year. Thus, it seems he could still be a vital cog in North Macedonia’s attack even from this defensive role. The long ball statistic should be particularly encouraging as it could see North Macedonia catch teams cold on the counter.
Liam Cooper – Scotland
The bizarre situation Scotland find themselves in with their two best players both naturally accustomed to playing as leftbacks has culminated in Steve Clarke having to play around with his defence to accommodate Lewis Tierney and skipper Andy Robertson.
Ultimately, this led to a system were by Tierney occupies the left centre-back position whilst Robertson is given the freedom to push high and wide as he does for Liverpool. Tierney is also allowed to move forward in a more central role providing cover for Robertson when he pushes into the final third or sometimes going beyond his captain as Robertson drops in to cover the space left by Tierney.
The system should evoke memories of Sheffield United’s overlapping centre-backs as well as Pep Guardiola’s use of fullbacks in a more central position in attack bulking out the middle of the field.
The focus on the left edge leaves a lot of pressure on Leeds skipper Liam Cooper. The centre-back is expected to play the furthest right of the three Scottish centre-backs on the outside of Grant Hanley. The movement forward of Tierney and Robertson will force Cooper to shuffle into a more central position as he and Hanley cover the advances of Tierney creating a two rather than a three at the back.
Playing in an attacking setup shouldn’t scare Cooper. The bread and butter of Bielsa’s side is getting forward leaving the defenders space to cover at the back should teams look to exploit any gaps in the defence or find a way in behind.
However, it has been suggested for most of this season that Cooper lacks the skillset to do this at a higher level and therefore some may suggest he could be challenged at the Euros. This is why many expect him and the Scottish to adopt a low block in the games against Croatia and England. Against two World Cup semi-finalists, Cooper’s robust nature and willingness to get his head onto crosses and be difficult to break down will be key.
Mateusz Klich – Poland
As he does for Leeds, Mateusz Klich will likely occupy a central position for Poland at the Euros but will have to fend of widespread competition for the central midfield berth in the Polish side as the tournament unfolds.
Unsurprisingly, the focal point of Poland’s team is scoring sensation Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich striker has been in the form of his life in recent years firing Bayern to Champions League glory in 2020.
Thus, Klich’s job will be to get the ball to the potent forward. A physical threat himself and strong on the ball, Klich will be asked to get through difficult midfields full of classy players to get the ball into Lewandowski’s feet or out wide where fullbacks and wingers can move the ball into the box so that Lewandowski can do what he’s best known for.
Averaging around 42 passes per game in the Premier League this year, the Leeds midfielder will most definitely be key in possession especially as the Polish look to transition from defence to attack and his proficiency with long balls – nailing 52 this season – will also be key.
He’ll also provide a goal threat himself if he can push into the space between the back four and the midfield. He’s had a shooting accuracy of 31% in the Premier League this year.
Robin Koch – Germany
In their two friendlies prior to the Euros, Germany have fielded an odd number of defenders. Against Denmark they named what was considered a five at the back before shifting to a three in an attacking masterclass against Latvia as the Germans scored seven.
The best Koch received in these games was an appearance from the bench. But it seems, should he feature in the group of death as Germany look to re-write the wrongs of the 2018 World Cup, that he’ll figure alongside two other centre backs as the Germans look to establish a solid base at the back.
Right footed, he’d traditionally be more at home on the right of the three or at the heart of it. The mobility he offers in a fluid Leeds side would most likely see him feature on the right enabling him to cover spaces vacated by attacking fullbacks and be tasked with marshalling that third of the field defensively as is often the case for the right sided centre back in a Marcelo Bielsa side when he adopts three at the back.
The stats would suggest that traditional defending – such as tackle success – is a strong area of his game owing to his 60% tackle success rate against some of the world’s best attackers in the Premier League. He’s won 76 duals this term in just 17 appearances and has the same number of recoveries.
Should the Germans face a more aerial threat, he’ll stand up to the challenge winning 38 aerial duals last year and only losing 29. He’s a safe defender too with only one error leading to a goal last season.
Diego Llorente – Spain
Unlike Germany, Spain have played a traditional back four in their last two outings meaning that Leeds’ other high profile defensive recruit this season will have a much more simple job at the back should he be called upon.
Like Koch, Llorente has struggled with injuries this season but when he’s played he’s displayed the necessary skillset to figure at the back for an attacking team looking to dominate the ball as Spain will.
Llorente boasts even better stats than Koch topping his tackle success rate, duals won and reaching double figures in terms of recoveries. Interestingly, he’s less prominent in the air winning just 33 aerial duals suggesting that this could be the best way to get at Spain this summer.
Spain will play an extremely high line to compress the space and enable them to press high up the pitch, a style Llorente will know well from his time under Bielsa. He’ll likely spend most of his time around the half way line even when they take on a mid block such is the aggressive intent of Spain in terms of pressing.
Kalvin Phillips – England
Initially, when people were considering what Gareth Southgate’s first choice 11 should look like at the Euros, plenty of discussion seemed to indicate only one of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips would feature.
His move away from the three centre-backs and the two sixes which culminated in a absence of creativity and into a 4-3-3 with a solitary six – much like the setups seen at Liverpool and Manchester City – leaves only one obvious place for Phillips or Rice to feature and that’s at the fulcrum of the side.
Comparing the two statistically this season, it’s hard to split the duo. Their stats are very similar in almost every department bar one and that’s the number of yellow cards accumulated this season. Whilst Declan Rice has just claimed a pair of yellows, Phillips has 10 to his name.
What does this mean? The indication would be that Phillips is a master at the tactical foul – an element of football which has only grown due to the creation of more forward thinking teams looking to press high and stop counter attacks; a style Leeds have adopted under Bielsa.
It’s believed, due to it’s prominence in England at the moment and the fact many of Southgate’s star players play that particular brand of football, that England will adopt a similar philosophy one which arguably makes Phillips the better candidate in the number six role.
That said, the injury to Jordan Henderson and the lack of hard-working eights in the England squad could see Rice and Phillips play alongside each other with Phillips’ experience higher up the field utilised to see him occupy a number eight role whilst providing a greater safety net for England’s attacking players to flourish.
Tyler Roberts – Wales
Intriguingly, Tyler Roberts started Wales last friendly up front wearing the number nine jersey as Wales changed from the 4-3-3 setup in their 3-0 defeat to France into a 3-5-2.
This instantly suggests that Roberts will have to be tactically flexible as we’ve already seen he can be. He may have to push out wide and fill in for the likes of Dan James and Gareth Bale or be asked to funnel into the striking role and offer energy and speed down the middle of the field.
It’s clear that Wales will most likely look to not lose before they go out to try and win the game which could result in Roberts being used as an attacking outlet on the break. Providing him with such space could be ideal for the Leeds attacker especially if he can link up with the likes of Bale.
