This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
It’s certainly no secret the one thing holding Leeds back this term – their inability to score goals.
A controversial red card and penalty certainly played its part in a defeat against Millwall last weekend but it wasn’t their first warning when it comes to failing to take their chances.
Before beating West Brom, Leeds had 73 shots in their previous four matches but only scored three goals in the process.
It was a run of games that raised question marks over the Whites. Before that clash against the Swans, they were unbeaten and sitting pretty at the top of the Championship.
Things may be tight at the top of the division but they now sit fifth after that 2-1 loss at The Den.
On the chalkboard
Patrick Bamford has been Leeds’ biggest goal threat in the league this term and is their joint-top scorer with four strikes.
Despite that, he’s now gone goalless in six matches, something that is understandably holding Leeds back. He’s working hard but that shouldn’t stop him from being under pressure.
After all, Leeds lack someone capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis and sit tenth for goals scored.
But it’s Gjanni Alioski’s role within the team that perhaps provides the most damning indictment of Marcelo Bielsa’s side and why they could end up being left behind by their promotion rivals.
The above graphic courtesy of Experimental361 shows Leeds’ biggest goal threats and it has the North-Macedonia international sitting in second place.
Considering he’s been playing the vast majority of his football at left-back this should be a huge concern.
Alioski is a dynamic full-back and scored seven times last term so it’s evident he’s capable going forward. However, it says an awful lot about the lack of impact those in the attack are having.
He is above Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich who netted 22 times between them in 2018/19 while his number of goals scored per 90 minutes this season is only fractionally smaller than Bamford’s rate.
This graphic demonstrates just how poor Leeds have been this term in front of goal, sitting towards an ‘energetically wasteful’ category.
Fulham and West Brom are more of a ‘constant threat’ and that’s indicative in the fact they’ve scored five and six more goals than Leeds respectively.
It’s incredibly alarming that the west Yorkshire side have just over 12 shots taken per goal. They also average nearly 17 shots per game.
If they’re having to rely on someone like Alioski, who was involved in the goal against West Brom and then also scored against Millwall, it’s damning.
Leeds had five players who scored over a handful of times last term but it appears they could struggle to match that this campaign.
It’s something that could just prove vital in their quest for promotion.
