When Garry Monk shocked Leeds United at the end of last season by resigning from his job, it brought into the picture a certain Thomas Christiansen. Christiansen guided Apoel Nicosia of Cyprus to the last 16 of the Europa League and to Cypriot first division title last season before taking over at Leeds.
When Christian walked into the club, the board was hoping to see the positive effect of having a foreign manager, in a manner somewhat similar to what David Wagner or Marco Silva has had at Huddersfield Town and Hull City last season.
Leeds got off to a flying start to their new season. Fast flowing football that was easy on the eye and a defence that since the opening game at Bolton had conceded three goals in eight games meant that Leeds could not have hoped for a better start. The Leeds machine, however, began to show signs of crack as the league progressed and they now stand eleventh in the table after 13 defeats in 31 games. It led to the sacking of their manager but his departure did little to turn around the club’s fortune.
Doubts are clouding over the club and the atmosphere at Leeds right now is grave. Several post-mortem reports of the club’s defeats have speculated about various aspects that the club needs to get right. One clear need for a position of reinforcement is that of a striker.
With Caleb Ekuban just returning from his time on the sidelines, Samuel Sáiz suffering from some serious disciplinary issues, Pierre-Michel Lasogga has been one of the better performers up front. Although the bulk of the scoring responsibility has been done by Kemar Roofe, Lasogga has been excellent as well.
With the player’s future in the club still in doubt, Leeds fans will want to see a new name. This is where the young man Mallik Wilks comes in. The 19-year old is an exciting prospect for the club. He has shown glimpses of great potential at this age. He had played regularly and has found the net on plenty of occasions earlier in this season with Accrington Stanley before suffering a hamstring injury.
The player has come back to his club in quest of his fitness. Leeds will hope that the young man recovers fast and can help the club next season by continuing to improve. He can be a real star for the future and can be crucial in Leeds’ future quest for glory.
