Leeds United are back in action in the Premier League this afternoon as they travel to the Midlands to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers away from Elland Road.
The Whites are still looking for their first open play goal of the top-flight season. They are also looking for their first win in all competitions since they beat Everton 1-0 on the opening day.
Leeds are aiming to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage last time out in the Premier League, and it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes Daniel Farke makes to the side.
One of the players who should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up after the loss to the Cottagers is central midfielder Sean Longstaff.
Why Leeds should drop Sean Longstaff
The summer signing from Newcastle United played the full 90 minutes against Fulham, but failed to offer much defensively or in possession aside from one shot that hit the woodwork.
Longstaff only completed two progressive passes in 90 minutes on the pitch in the middle of the park, per FBref, whilst also failing to create any chances for his teammates, which shows that he rarely looked to play forward with purpose.
The English midfielder also lost six of his ten ground duels and two of his three aerial contests, per Sofascore. Fulham’s players found it too easy to get the better of him in physical battles, and did not have to worry about what he did on the ball.
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This is why Farke should ruthlessly ditch him from the line-up for this clash with Wolves, because Ao Tanaka should be unleashed in his place to provide more quality in possession.
Why Ao Tanaka should start over Sean Longstaff for Leeds
The Japan international was an unused substitute against Fulham after returning from a knee injury, and the head coach should now bring him back into the starting XI.
Tanaka was pivotal to the way that Leeds dominated the Championship last season, with the technical security and quality that he offered in the middle of the park for Leeds.
The 27-year-old star, who was described as a “tiger” by Farke, also contributed out of possession thanks to his ability to win the ball back for his side through tackles and interceptions.
Passes attempted
72.43
Top 7%
Pass accuracy
89.2%
Top 2%
Progressive passes
7.03
Top 7%
Tackles
2.53
Top 25%
Interceptions
1.47
Top 9%
Blocks
1.25
Top 37%
As you can see in the table above, Tanaka ranked highly among his fellow midfielders in the second tier in key passing and defensive metrics, which shows that he can offer balance in midfield by contributing on and off the ball.
The Japanese star also showed that he can translate that sort of control in possession over to Premier League level with a pass completion rate of 91% and six progressive passes against Everton on the opening day per FBref.
Tanaka could offer far more progression in possession than Longstaff, who has made four progressive passes in over 300 minutes of action this season, per FBref, which could help Leeds to get up the pitch and create more in the final third.
Leeds have failed to score a goal in the two games that Longstaff has started, against Newcastle United and Fulham, and Farke needs to find a way to improve how his side operates on the ball in creative areas.
This is why bringing Tanaka back into the XI for the English midfielder could be a good move by the German coach, because he appears far more likely to provide the attacking players with the progressive passes that they need to be effective in the final third.