Leeds United centre-back Pascal Struijk showed what he was capable of last week despite Daniel Farke’s side losing to Monaco in York, and needs to be trusted again.
The Whites are gearing up for their final pre-season friendly of July with a trip north of the border to Scottish Premiership side Hearts.
Farke will be starting to hone in on the side he wants to start the season against Cardiff in a week’s time, barring any late changes, injuries or fresh additions catching his eye.
Pascal Struijk is someone who is sure to have a better impact this season than last, getting a fresh start under a new manager, and seemingly playing in a role that suits him more.
Here, we look at two things that Farke must do to build on Struijk’s encouraging performance against Monaco last weekend, with this trip to face Hearts looming…
Continue playing him at centre-back
Struijk is perhaps the best example in the Leeds squad of a ‘confidence player’, given how he’s showcased immense form while the side is flying, but then finding himself at the other end of the spectrum then things aren’t going Leeds’ way.
Getting a player out of such highs and lows and into more steady, consistent performance is not an easy task, but having a manager with a clear strategy in possession is going to pay off, rather than Jesse Marsch’s pinball causing untold problems.
Where Struijk is concerned, playing at centre-back is crucial, given that’s where he’s best, rather than looking lost at left-back when Leeds have the ball in the opposition half.
The fact he has played solely at centre-back thus far with Leo Hjelde operating on the left shows you where Farke sees players’ best positions, or at least who to prioritise, and with Struijk, he knows he has a very dependable player in possession that can break lines to find the fluid attacking players.
Having a real aerial threat is vital too in attack, as much as Struijk needs to show a lot more aggression when defending.
Happy with Ampadu?
Sign a right-sided leader to partner him
Letting Max Wöber go actually streamlines the pecking order a lot better and leaves Liam Cooper to battle with Struijk for that LCB spot.
What remains for Leeds is to add someone to the right side of that pairing, with Charlie Cresswell still potentially not ready for consistent minutes in a promotion-chasing side – as good as he could be in time.
It’s clear to see what sort of defender will get the best out of partnering Struijk, though, and that’s someone who can lead him through games, with the Dutchman still needing his hand holding at times when things go south in periods.
A soft under-belly has been synonymous with Leeds for years now, and to ensure that doesn’t happen in the new regime, leaders are needed at the back.
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