Leeds United have collected merely a couple of points from their last six games in the Championship and after their 1-4 defeat at the hands of Cardiff City last weekend, Thomas Christiansen was sacked from the managerial post at the Elland Road. The Peacocks are in all sorts of trouble and have derailed from the race of promotion to the Premier League.
There is still time to turn the tables in their favour and here are three players who really need to step up and perform in a better manner in the upcoming fixtures.
-
Pierre-Michel Lasogga
Leeds United striker, Pierre-Michel Lasogga, was signed on loan from Hamburger in the summer transfer window to beef up the attacking arsenal of the Whites after the departure of Chris Wood to Burnley. After showing quite a bit of promise early on, Lasogga has either looked isolated up front or has squandered opportunities more often than not.
The 26-year-old has scored 7 goals in 18 games in the Championship so far, which is quite modest but his level of consistency has been sporadic. If Leeds United are really hoping to make a push for promotion, they would definitely need more from Lasogga up front. He is more than a decent striker but needs to up the ante from here onwards.
-
Gaetano Berardi
Due to the absence of Luke Ayling owing to injury, the Yorkshire based outfit have gone with Gaetano Berardi to cater to their needs for the right-back slot. Berardi was used at the left-back position prior to Ayling’s injury but he was arguably a weak link in Leeds United’s defence when he played there.
He needs to enhance the quality of his attacking endeavours and needs to get better at decision making. Many times, he has been caught in two minds, something which he cannot afford to do at this level. In 22 outings in the English second division, the 29-year-old has made 1.8 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 3.5 clearances and 0.3 blocks per game on an average but is yet to notch up any goal or assist.
-
Pablo Hernandez
Leeds United playmaker, Pablo Hernandez, has been below par. The Spaniard has regularly found a place for himself in the starting line-up of the Peacocks but his performance levels have dipped alarmingly in recent months. So far this season, he has registered 4 goals and as many assists from 28 appearances and given his calibre, he is capable of much more.
The 32-year-old has been lacking the cutting edge up front and there has been an apparent dearth of his end product. His creativity and ability to tear defences apart with precise passes and vision seem to be lacking. It is about time he starts performing as per expectations.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored