Being the best at doing a good job — Square Ball 28/10/25
Two from three
Words by: Chris McMenamy
Marvin Gaye was right. Well, Tony Soprano. Believe none of
what you hear, and half of what you see. We live in an era where being emphatic
is more important than being correct and it’s increasingly permeating football
discourse, and Leeds’ 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor is a perfect example. Pascal
Struijk misplaced a pass well inside the Burnley half in the 67th minute, which
allowed Kyle Walker to run almost the length of the pitch before turning back
to pass the ball to a teammate. Burnley played four passes without being closed
down, including one to Loum Tchaouna standing in yards of space outside the
Leeds penalty area, who turned and, still untouched, lashed a shot past Karl
Darlow.
Much of the online discourse between fans and even in the
media after the match talked about a Struijk mistake leading to the goal, so
when Jaka Bijol stepped into the team for Friday night’s big game against West
Ham, one which Leeds won, there was a sense of vindication in the criticism of
Struijk.
I’m Bijol’s biggest fan this side of Lake Bled and I think
it’s fair to say he had a decent debut while showing the signs of rust from
having played zero Premier League minutes prior to last Friday night. But I’m
still a big fan of Struijk who, to some, is getting a hard time for mistakes
that aren’t particularly attributable to him. He’s also a known quantity in the
Premier League to Leeds fans, or so we think. But I’m sticking my head above
the social media parapet and saying he deserves more credit than he gets, while
also believing that he can look a little slow — especially alongside Joe
‘Wheels’ Rodon — and at times lacks the decisiveness of Bijol, taking opponents
out, legally or otherwise.
When Struijk made his Premier League debut at Anfield for
Leeds five years ago, he was a 21-year-old with five matches of senior football
under his belt. He didn’t have the benefit of any real Championship experience
in which to find his feet, unless you include two starts in the dead rubbers
after promotion was secured in July 2020. He was thrown in at the deep end in a
Premier League team that, across three seasons, conceded more goals than most
and played mostly high-risk football. It was a baptism of fire.
Two years in the Championship in his mid-twenties gave him
the chance to thrive in a calmer environment, away from the hyper-analysis and
absolutism players suffer in the Premier League. His centre-back partner Joe
Rodon had a similar trajectory, catapulted into the upper echelons of the
Premier League when Tottenham signed him only fifty games into his senior
career at Swansea in the second tier. He stagnated across two seasons in
London, before a so-so year at Rennes saw him join Leeds in the summer of 2023.
Two years later, Rodon is the manifestation of the Leeds fanbase on the pitch,
wearing his heart and, sometimes, blood on his sleeve as he clatters into
opponents, starts Leeds attacks and manages to get himself pictured screaming
like a crazed warrior each week without fail.
Rodon’s blood and thunder approach will always benefit him
in the debate about Leeds’ best defence, as does the fact that Leeds had
excellent runs in both of the last two seasons when Struijk was injured and
manager Daniel Farke was forced into picking both Rodon and compatriot Ethan
Ampadu in defence. No matter how well Leeds played in those games, it’s hard
not to argue that Ampadu isn’t a centre-back and that Struijk isn’t the better
defender, which was best evidenced in the 2-1 win against Sunderland when
Ampadu got turned by Wilson Isidor for Sunderland’s goal, while Struijk came
off the bench and scored both of Leeds’ goals, including a 95th-minute winner.
As much as I love Joe Rodon, he also came into this season
with as much to prove in the top flight as Struijk. For the most part, both
have done a pretty good job across the first nine matches and, at times, have
probably exceeded expectations given the vast majority of ‘pundits’ predicted
Leeds to go down with a whimper like the promoted clubs have done for two years
now. However, you only have to look at Burnley’s first goal at Turf Moor and
West Ham’s goal on Friday evening to see the areas for improvement in Leeds’
defence, including Rodon’s organisation and marking.
The reality for Leeds United’s three main centre-backs is
that they’re all quite likely a similar standard of player with differing
strengths and weaknesses that, when paired together on a weekend, complement
the other’s own attributes. Struijk’s ball progression and aerial prowess works
well with Rodon’s recovery speed and all-round defending. Bijol’s ability to
defend the penalty area, especially in the air, and his ability to use
physicality to douse fires should combine well with Rodon and/or Struijk, when
required.
Struijk’s illness provided Bijol with the opportunity he had
patiently waited for since arriving at Leeds. Struijk has likely played more
than he expected to when Leeds dropped the guts of £17m on a player in his
position and it’s more than likely that Bijol’s one-match suspension carried
over from a red card at Udinese provided his teammate with the opportunity to
nail a place in the team.
All three centre-backs will prove useful throughout a long
Premier League season, even if Farke seems averse to unforced squad rotation.
