
Leeds have had to deal with a number of injuries to key players this season, with the resulting poor form ultimately costing Marcelo Bielsa his job.
However, it is the absence of one man that has most handicapped the Whites.
Kalvin Phillips became instrumental to Leeds’ success under Bielsa and averaged 3058 minutes of playing time per year during the Argentine’s three full seasons in charge.
This term, however, Phillips has managed just 999 minutes across 12 starts in the Premier League.
With Leeds confirming the Yorkshireman is now “available to play minutes against Southampton this week”, after making the bench against Wolves, we examine how his absence plunged Leeds into a relegation battle.
Orchestrating the attack
Phillips’ impressive passing range has been key to Leeds United’s build-up play in recent seasons.
Last year he completed more passes per 90 than any other Leeds midfielder who completed five games or more, with a respectable pass completion rate of 82.8%.
However, more impressive than his ability to keep the ball moving was his long range passing.
Phillips completed 11.9 long passes per 90 with a completion rate of almost 72% last season.
This number was not just the highest in the Leeds squad, but also put him in the 95th percentile of all Premier League midfielders.
Leeds have desperately missed Phillips’ ability to spread the ball around the pitch from deep this season.
While Phillips has racked up 10 long passes per 90 in his 12 appearances, Adam Forshaw ranks second amongst midfielders in the squad with just 5.69.
Leeds have been missing Phillips’ ability to launch quick attacks from deep, evidenced by the fact he was in the top 13% of midfielders for xA last season and the top 9% for shot creating actions.
Protecting the defence
However, Leeds have missed Phillips as much off the ball as on it. Despite his natural ability, he fit into Bielsa’s high intensity defensive system well.
This is shown by the fact Phillips made 23.69 pressures per 90 last year, with 7.15 being successful, enough to put him in the 91st and 92nd percentile for each metric.
Phillips dominated the defensive third of the pitch for Leeds. He made 1.59 tackles and 9.49 pressures in that area per 90. These totals put him in the top 8% of Premier League midfielders.
In total Phillips managed 4.56 tackles and interceptions per 90, the fourth best total in the Leeds squad.
The nearest midfielder to his numbers last term was Jack Harrison with just 2.91.
While Bielsa was blamed for the side’s porous defence, there is no doubt that the loss of Phillips has been a crucial factor in Leeds’ inability to protect the back line from danger.
Despite Jesse Marsch’s positive results this problem has continued with the Whites still looking open defensively.
Going forwards Marsch will hope he has decreased the reliance on Phillips after winning back to back games in his absence. Despite this, Phillips’ return can only boost his hopes of keeping Leeds in the Premier League.
