Why Victor Orta's Leeds United plan has to be flexible and the next target if midfielder signs - YEP 15/6/22

Leeds United transfer target Marc Roca looks like a quality player and he’s certainly an interesting one.

By Tony Dorigo

If you look at our midfield when Kalvin Phillips has been out, we have struggled and we have asked a lot of players filling the gap when it’s not their favoured position.

That was one void that needed to be filled with extreme urgency this summer and, fingers crossed, the Roca deal goes through, if the right price can be agreed, because, clearly, he’s got some ability.

He went to Bayern Munich and couldn’t quite get as many games as he would have liked, but that’s not really a slight on him; it’s just that Bayern Munich are obviously a very, very good side indeed.

Look at the players they have operating in the middle of the park, names that could really grace just about any team sheet, so missing out on a regular start is no real shame in such company.

It’s a bit like someone playing with Phillips - anyone who sits just behind him in the pecking order at Leeds United could be one heck of a player, but they’ve got to be better than Phillips in that position in order to play week in and week out. That was Roca’s challenge at Bayern Munich, and it was a tough one.

Clearly, though, from his time in Spain and the fact that he’s played 20-odd games for Bayern Munich, he’s a very good player indeed. And we need a specialist in that position, as good as Robin Koch has been and others, like Pascal Struijk at times or Adam Forshaw dropping deep. It just hasn’t been their natural role so we need this kind of reinforcement. It’s another important box ticked after the first two deals of the summer, so let’s hope it gets ticked this week.

Beyond that, Victor Orta’s plan for our summer recruitment has to be flexible because things can change, day to day and week to week, depending even on bids that could come in for our star players and the size of those bids. Those are moments we all fear but they are moments that come for almost every club.

When you have very good top-flight international players on your hands then there is rarely a guarantee that you can keep them forever. If bids do come in to force change, then it might be a case of ‘well have we got another little diamond we can go and buy for a lot less money?’ so the extra money can be reinvested to make the whole squad stronger.

That’s what it’s all about and it’s clear that we’re lacking in numbers so not only do we need to make it stronger, we need more numbers. That will be the challenge going forward, but I’m sure that the club have got it all organised, the targets are all listed and, while actually getting them in isn’t easy, I think, so far, we’re doing a pretty good job.

Once the midfield is strengthened, it’s vital that we reinforce the attack. Patrick Bamford had a horrendous season fitness-wise and, when he didn’t play, we were left wanting. Joe Gelhardt did a wonderful job but to rely on those two for a whole Premier League season would be very difficult.

Our experience of that was that it just didn’t work and, when you look at just about every other team, on their bench they have two or even three strikers ready to come on and change a game.

We never had that and it has to happen this summer. The type of striker we go and get is a difficult one to call because strikers are costly animals and we’ve got to get good value.

What is clear is the way Jesse Marsch wants to play so he needs a striker who fits that mould and I would suggest it will be one in the Bamford mould, someone who can hold that ball up there, run those channels and score goals.

It will be a tricky task but I would have thought a striker is certainly near the very top on the list of necessary reinforcements.

It will be so good to get Bamford back in pre-season, ready to go again, but you’re not 100 per cent sure he’ll be able to play a full season after the one he had and it’s a gamble that doesn’t need to be taken. Whatever happens, get someone else in that position to provide options and I think we’re okay.

We need him, we need Gelhardt and we need another - we need all. Last season showed how many players got games and how many players light we were. This summer needs to create a depth to the squad and everyone will participate next season, there’s no doubt.