Leeds’ display against Fulham wasn’t what we’ve become accustomed to in recent times.
A team who had improved their ruthless nature, scoring three last time out against Cardiff, were anything but as they rued a succession of opportunities at Craven Cottage.
In total, they had 15 attempts, eight more than their visitors who eventually prevailed on the afternoon.
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It told a sorry tale of a team underperforming their expected goals by nearly eight strikes. If Experimental361’s graphic was anything to go by, Marcelo Bielsa’s men would be top of the table.
Alas, they sit in second, although they are still eight points ahead of third-placed Sheffield Wednesday.
That being said, there was an uncomfortable afternoon for a certain Ben White last Saturday.
Coming up against the Championship’s top scorer in Aleksandar Mitrovic, he had a chance to prove himself.
The central defender has been linked with an array of clubs in recent times. Liverpool and Manchester United are in the frame but Chelsea have been touted with a potential £25m move for the defender.
But if a player is worth that much, especially one linked with a move to the Premier League, you’d expect him to pocket every threat in the Championship.
That, however, was not the case. The penalty he gave away was incredibly soft but it seems as though White’s mentality from that moment was shot.
The 22-year-old lost six duels and also committed two fouls. Meanwhile, his display was described in quite damning fashion by Graham Smyth of Yorkshire Evening Post: “The youngster has probably not looked less comfortable all season,” he commented.
White has been an imperious figure in 2019/20, taking to the second division like a duck to water. According to SofaScore, he’s committed just 0.9 fouls per game and won over 67% of his aerial duels. The youngster has also won over 54% of his ground duels.
This, therefore, was an uncharacteristic display from a player currently experiencing his first real dip in form at Elland Road.
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White was caught out against Cardiff a week prior as well, earning a rating of just 6.4 from SofaScore. The centre-half made just one tackle and also lost possession 11 times as Leeds conceded three goals in the second half.
With reports of a move away in January still lingering, his outing against Fulham provided evidence that he still has work to do if he wants to be considered for a move to the top-flight.
In other news, Leeds have identified their replacement for if Nketiah departs…