Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United have had a blended begin to the 2022/23 Premier League as they sit eleventh within the table after six outings within the division.
The Whites have unfold out their outcomes equally with two wins, two attracts, and two losses within the top-flight up to now, while scoring 10 objectives and conceding 10.
They prevented relegation again all the way down to the Championship by the pores and skin of their enamel final season as they completed three factors above 18th-placed Burnley and can be hoping that they’re additional away from the drop zone this time round.
Only Norwich (84) conceded extra video games than the Whites (79) within the Premier League in 2021/22 and their struggling defence has reared its ugly head once more this time period, with 10 objectives conceded up to now – together with five in opposition to Brentford of their final outing.
Whilst the standard of the defending could be introduced into query, Illan Meslier’s type has been a trigger for concern over the previous couple of months or so.
In 2021/22, Meslier ranked 18th out of the 21 listed Premier League goalkeepers by way of save proportion, stopping 65.6% of the pictures in opposition to him.
Out of the 42 goalkeepers used all through the marketing campaign, the Frenchman ranked bottom for objectives conceded in comparison with the post-shot xG he confronted. He conceded 7.3 extra objectives than the typical goalkeeper would be anticipated to let in primarily based on the standard of the pictures in opposition to him.
This season, he ranks 19th out of 24 goalkeepers as he has allowed 1.4 extra objectives than anticipated after six appearances and these statistics means that he has been under par because the begin of 2021/22.
The Leeds glovesman is – fairly merely – not saving sufficient of the pictures that he ought to be saving – if he needs to be a reliable Premier League shot-stopper – and it’s costing Marsch’s group on the pitch.
Fabrizio Romano described the gem as being “untouchable” through the summer time switch window however director of soccer Victor Orta could now land an upgrade on him by signing Yassine Bounou, who has been linked with a January change to Elland Road, from Sevilla.
Journalist Josh Bunting beforehand claimed that the Morocco worldwide has “outstanding reflexes” and his statistics again that up, as he ranks within the 92nd percentile amongst goalkeepers in Europe’s high 5 leagues over the past twelve months for objectives conceded in comparison with post-shot xG – saving 0.20 greater than anticipated.
During the 2021/22 La Liga marketing campaign, he saved 76% of the pictures that he confronted and his shot-stopping statistics recommend that he would be a serious upgrade on Meslier between the sticks and enhance the membership’s defensive document.
Over the final twelve months, he has additionally stopped a better proportion (8.6%) of crosses into his field than the Leeds man (7.1%) and which means that the Sevilla man could be simpler at dominating his field.
Meslier, 22, remains to be studying and gaining expertise within the recreation and spending a while on the sidelines because the quantity two to Bono, 31, could be a tricky studying curve that he must undergo to take his recreation to the following stage.
He could be taught from the 6 foot 4 Moroccan machine and enhance his personal performances and this is the reason Orta should convey the Sevilla man in through the January window as a result of he can be an upgrade on the Frenchman within the short-term while additionally serving to the younger gem to develop for the longer term.
