MY ACCOUNT
Leeds could be boosted by the return of Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper at Wolves tonight.
The duo have been missing since they both limped off against Brentford in early December, with Marcelo Bielsa being sacked over the Whites’ struggles in the meantime.
Now new boss Jesse Marsch will have two of his most important players back for the final nine games.
We assess just how important Phillips and Cooper could be to the Whites’ survival bid.
Huge boost
It is not just their abilities but also the leadership that the two players bring on the pitch.
Phillips, 26, played in 29 league games last season with Leeds taking 53 points from those 29 matches as opposed to six from nine when he missed out.
Cooper’s absence, meanwhile, has been keenly felt with Leeds shipping goals for fun.
Speaking about Cooper, Phillips and Patrick Bamford, Marsch said: “It is a big positive momentum swing for our group.
“Even when I first came, I knew that getting the three main guys back to full health was going to really dictate our success.
“Of course, I would love to keep guys like Kalvin and Patrick and Raphinha here as long as possible, so we will see.
“Kalvin is clearly so well respected and liked. He is Leeds through and through and a big part of the identity of the team.”
Defensive woes
Leeds have the worst defence in the league having conceded a whopping 65 goals, with Norwich on 63 the only other side even close to being as bad at the back.
Following the 4-2 defeat to Manchester United last month, former White Jonathan Woodgate blasted Diego Llorente for his efforts.
He said: “If you look at Llorente’s body position, he doesn’t look at the ball until the last second.
“For me, Harry Maguire bullies him. He’s not even looking at the ball, he’s fixated on the man. That’s not how you mark, you have to go ball and man, you have to be looking at both.
“But that’s not how you mark in the box. It’s poor defending. In my view, it’s lazy defending.”
Prior to 30-year-old Cooper limping off at 0-0 against Brentford in their 15th game of the season, Leeds had conceded 20 goals.
They shipped two more in that game and have let in a further 43 since — Cooper’s experience and leadership could help stem the flow.
Bielsa’s transformation
There was no player in the Leeds squad transformed in quite the same way that Phillips was by Bielsa.
Prior to the Argentine’s arrival, he was a middling Championship player who never really looked capable of playing at the top level.
But under Bielsa, Phillips was turned into a high-class defensive midfielder, strong in the tackle, diligent on the ball and able to run for 90 minutes non-stop.
He became a favourite among the Elland Road faithful and was one of England’s stars at Euro 2020.
On Bielsa’s departure, he said: “Thank you Marcelo for everything you have done for me. You saw in me what I didn’t even see in myself. You helped me grow as a player but most importantly as a person.
“Wishing you all the best in your next chapter. Gracias Marcelo. Vamos Leeds Carajo!!”
Different role
Phillips will have to change his game under Marsch with the American playing a 4-2-3-1 formation rather than the 4-1-4-1 that Bielsa deployed.
So far, Marsch has played three different midfields in his three games, with Adam Forshaw, Matheusz Klich and centre-back Robin Koch all playing twice.
Phillips will almost certainly be catapulted straight into the side and his new boss pointed to his England experience when discussing what he needs to do.
Marsch added: “We had a good conversation about it and he said that actually it’s not that dissimilar from what they do with the national team.
“He plays a lot in there with Declan Rice and they share a lot of responsibilities as a double six.
“He is an intelligent guy so I think he’ll be able to adjust relatively quickly.”
Still in the mire
Last weekend’s win was a huge step in the right direction for Leeds, but they are not out of the woods yet.
They currently sit 16th, four points clear of Watford in 18th and five ahead of Burnley, who have two games in hand on the Whites.
After Wolves tonight, Leeds’ run-in includes games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal as well as huge six-pointers at Brentford and Watford.
If they want to maintain their top-flight status, they will have to pick up wins in matches where they are not the favourites.
To do that, the likes of Phillips and Cooper need to hit the ground running — starting with the trip to Molineux.
