Leeds United, having missed out on promotion last term, are desperately chasing a Premier League return after years of anguish and agony. But they are yet to find the rhythm despite grinding out results and were lucky on Saturday afternoon when homegrown Kalvin Phillips sealed all three points at Elland Road against Birmingham City to make their centenary Galla even more special.
However, they are expecting a tougher test on Tuesday night against in-form Preston North End at Deepdale. Alex Neil’s men suffered a last-gasp defeat to Reading but are still unbeaten at home and would look to retain their record intact.
The Lilywhites, currently sixth in the league standings, have emerged as one of the prime contenders to grab a playoff place finish. But the Whites are already gearing up for the midweek challenge and Tyler Roberts, the versatile Leeds’ youngster, has warned the Lancashire-based outfit who have fired in the most number of goals so far this campaign.
“We had a good result last year over there, but this year they’ve started pretty on fire, scoring lots of goals, so we’ll be wary of that. But nothing really changes in terms of us. We’ll play how we always play; we’ll press, we’ll pass it about, we’ll dominate possession. It’s just about us really.”
The 20-year-old told LUTV, highlighting their strategy for this intriguing contest.
Should Bielsa Make Tactical Alteration For The Preston Game?
Free-scoring Preston would try to explore the Whites’ defensive lapses, particularly from the set-piece scenarios. Leeds are an attacking outfit who move the ball quickly, keep on switching formations and prefer to spend their time in the opponents’ half with high pressing and swift movements.
Yet they are struggling to convert the opportunities and have been exposed at the back which, in turn, is allowing the others to hit them on the counter. The veteran Argentine, therefore, should focus a bit more on protecting the goal and wait for the right moment to counter-press the Lilywhites.
Should Roberts Start In Midfield?
The youngster was brought in the second half against Birmingham replacing Mateusz Klich, and he impressed with his swift footwork, down the middle runs and smart link-up football. However, the Englishman is not yet ready for ninety minutes. Roberts would be more instrumental if introduced later on to inject freshness, pace and stamina in the attacking third. His work rate is a problem, and therefore, he can’t be risked in midfield in such tricky outings. Klich and Stuart Dallas should pair up centrally, and one of them might eventually make way for Roberts depending upon the status of the match.
