Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United have had a combined begin to the 2022/23 Premier League as they sit eleventh within the desk 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 targets and conceding 10.
They averted relegation again right down to the Championship by the pores and skin of their enamel final season as they completed three factors above 18th-placed Burnley and will likely be hoping that they’re additional away from the drop zone this time round.
Solely 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 targets conceded up to now – together with 5 in opposition to Brentford of their final outing.
While the standard of the defending may very well be introduced into query, Illan Meslier’s kind 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 share, stopping 65.6% of the photographs in opposition to him.
Out of the 42 goalkeepers used all through the marketing campaign, the Frenchman ranked backside for targets conceded in comparison with the post-shot xG he confronted. He conceded 7.3 extra targets than the typical goalkeeper could be anticipated to let in based mostly on the standard of the photographs in opposition to him.
This season, he ranks nineteenth out of 24 goalkeepers as he has allowed 1.4 extra targets than anticipated after six appearances and these statistics means that he has been beneath par because the begin of 2021/22.
The Leeds glovesman is – fairly merely – not saving sufficient of the photographs that he must be saving – if he needs to be a reliable Premier League shot-stopper – and it’s costing Marsch’s staff on the pitch.
Fabrizio Romano described the gem as being “untouchable” in the course of the summer time switch window however director of soccer Victor Orta may now land an improve on him by signing Yassine Bounou, who has been linked with a January swap to Elland Street, from Sevilla.
Journalist Josh Bunting beforehand claimed that the Morocco worldwide has “excellent 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 one year for targets conceded in comparison with post-shot xG – saving 0.20 greater than anticipated.
Throughout the 2021/22 La Liga marketing campaign, he saved 76% of the photographs that he confronted and his shot-stopping statistics recommend that he could be a serious improve on Meslier between the sticks and enhance the membership’s defensive report.
Over the past one year, he has additionally stopped the next share (8.6%) of crosses into his field than the Leeds man (7.1%) and which means that the Sevilla man may very well be more practical 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, may very well be a troublesome studying curve that he must undergo to take his recreation to the subsequent stage.
He may study from the 6 foot 4 Moroccan machine and enhance his personal performances and for this reason Orta should carry the Sevilla man in in the course of the January window as a result of he will be an improve on the Frenchman within the short-term while additionally serving to the younger gem to develop for the long run.
