Recent club stats-data show 'Creativity' is lacking this season which has created issues throughout the team's players with lack of creativity in midfield in every Premier League match thus far.Three players are contributing to this dilemma the stats show.

If we compare Raphinha’s match performance this season to previous season in the analysis above you can observe that his creativity and build-up involvement has dropped significantly this season. Raphinha has attempted more shots this season per game than previous season per game and his number of line-breaking passes with his shot-creating actions committed by cutting inside from the right flank has significantly decreased as well.


Raphinha is the team’s most creative player but his form on the other hand has not been up to the 'consistent' mark so far this season.In fact his 'club data-stats' show he has been far to often dispossessed by opponent center-backs while trying to cut in centrally with the ball from the right wing. As a result of this Leeds’s overall team stats performance has suffered significantly as moves are being broken down.

Latest 'club stats' data state he's making 1.3 key passes per 90 mins (down from 2.1 last season average) and losing possession 26.7 times per 90 mins (compared to 18.8 times in last season). His poorer performance has affected Leeds’s overall gameplay, and fellow winger Harrison’s form isn’t looking good either so far.Not helped by Phillips being closed down and kept deeper to cut his 'breaking the lines' passing.



Last season Harrison was frequently seen cutting into the box and taking attempts to the goal,linking Alioski in quick one-two passes but his connection with our new left-back Firpo hasn’t been as effective which is why Harrison has struggled this season. He hasn’t been seen attempting much to enter the opponents’ box when cutting in from the wing in the final third either to date stats are showing.



Rodrigo's role this season has seen him drop deeper from his more forward position.To often he receives passes from this deeper role and the picture above shows such a pass from Dallas.At that point he was attempting to give the long through ball and both Bamford and Raphinha took a run behind the defence in the center and right area respectively. But Rodrigo ended up giving a short pass to Harrison on the left instead of providing the long ball. But a high goal-scoring chance would have been created if he attempted the long ball and that situation has been constantly happening.

Rodrigo is not a natural 'line-breaker' with his passing and never will be.



Bielsa has used the 3-3-1-3 for the majority of this season with one additional player pulled back into defence to achieve our essential numerical superiority for team defence. But the Leeds attack on the other hand has been severely hampered as a result of this as passes that break the lines are just not happening for our flowing football game approach.Again lack of midfield creativity.



Normally we used two box-to-box midfielders when we played in the 4-1-4-1 formation as each players duty was to make the most of the space generated in between the lines while the other’s job was to find the box using Bamford’s created free spaces as a second striker. Due to the additional man on defence Bielsa has often sacrificed the player who plays as the second striker resulting in a shortage of one man in the forward line.

Hence the Rodrigo role conundrums & gaps between our lines evidenced thus far.

My answer was Raph as the 10 position and that synopsis hasn't changed since my viewing of the Newcastle game high up with behind the goal view seeing our game plan in action.Early days with tough games played and now injuries but the passing between lines needs addressing urgently from within what we have as Phillips passing role is being shut down end of.

https://www.goal.com/en/news/bielsa-...j1nfhp8p9e9jax