Abundance of star quality but difficult to align as a team - Mail Online 26/9/21


Leeds have an abundance of star quality on the pitch and in the dugout... but aligning them into an orderly team is where they fell short again as West Ham go marching on

Leeds fell to third defeat in six games after the 2-1 loss to West Ham on Saturday

Marcelo Bielsa's men took the lead in the first half through Raphinha's strike

West Ham fought back and won it in the dying minutes through Michail Antonio

Leeds sit in 18th place and they are yet to pick up a league win so far this season

By CRAIG HOPE

The form of goalkeeper Illan Meslier should be a concern for Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Not because he is playing poorly. The problem, rather, is how much opportunity he is getting to impress.

The brilliant young Frenchman has made a league-high 27 saves this season. He is also in the top three for high claims and punches. In short, he has a lot to do.

But here is the worry — only Norwich’s Tim Krul has conceded more goals than Meslier, and the Canaries look doomed already.

On Saturday against West Ham, the 21-year-old was again man of the match. Goalkeepers winning plaudits in a losing side is never a good sign.

Such praise could extend to several of his team-mates, especially Raphinha and Rodrigo, who were all energy and ideas in attack.

Leeds have plenty of star quality, then, on the pitch and in the dugout. Aligning those stars into something resembling an orderly team is where they are falling short.

In their last three league matches, Leeds have faced a staggering 67 shots on their goal, somehow conceding only six times. The reason for that would be Meslier.

It cannot continue if they are to emerge from the bottom three, in which they now find themselves, winless after six games for the first time in the top flight since 1935.

Whereas last season you felt there was method behind the madness of Bielsa’s relentless approach, now there is just chaos.

Hammers boss David Moyes said he was struggling to make sense of this match, in which his side recovered from Raphinha’s first-half strike to draw level through a Junior Firpo own goal and win it when Michail Antonio galloped clear and finished in the 90th minute.

But you can make sense of it —Leeds are beating themselves. For the opposition, if you stay in the game and keep a striker such as Antonio in a central area, you will get chances to score and win.

Moyes admitted Antonio did not play particularly well — primarily because he was wasteful — but he was still the difference between these two teams.

Leeds do not have an Antonio. Patrick Bamford is injured and out of form. It says much that, of their 85 shots this season, only 27 have found the target for a return of six goals.

For all of their attacking intent, you are never convinced Leeds are going to score.

Bielsa has plenty to ponder, at both ends of the park.

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