Leeds United failed to replicate the standards they set in their first campaign back in the Premier League last season. The Whites were the division’s entertainers, scoring goals from all angles to secure a ninth-place finish but could not continue that into their second year back in the top-flight.
Leeds were without Patrick Bamford for almost the entire season and suffered long-term injuries to other key players such as Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper. And one thing that clearly took a hit from previous seasons under Marcelo Bielsa was the intensity of their football, and more specifically in this case – the speed of their counter-attacks.
In the 2020/21 campaign, Leeds scored the most number of counter-attacking goals in the Premier League with seven, according to statistics taken from WhoScored. Their ability to transform defence into attack was second to none.
READ MORE: Four options Leeds United could pursue in worst-case Kalvin Phillips scenario
However, this time around Leeds just could not recreate that brand of football and that is evident in the fact they were unable to score a single counter-attacking goal all season. They were one of just two teams in the Premier League to do this, with the other side being Chelsea.
With pace on the break coming from the likes of Raphinha, Dan James and Jack Harrison, Leeds should’ve had all the ingredients to be successful in this particular aspect of the game. Jesse Marsch is a manager who likes his team to be quick in transitions and so next season, this is something he must look to rediscover if Leeds are to be successful in the Premier League again.
