Leeds United pushed up to fourth in the Championship table over the weekend with a comfortable 2-0 win over Hull City at Elland Road on Saturday.
The Whites took to the field for the first time since the summer transfer window slammed shut, after the deadline passed on Friday night, and that meant that they finally had a settled squad.
Daniel Farke does not have to worry about any more of his key players moving on from West Yorkshire, which was the case in the first few matches of the campaign.
The German head coach had to watch on as Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter moved on to Tottenham Hotspur, Rennes, West Ham United, and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively.
Those sales did, however, allow the manager to dip into the transfer market to sign Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon, Joe Rothwell, Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Jayden Bogle, Isaac Schmidt, and Ao Tanaka.
One player who has felt like a new signing at Elland Road is centre-forward Mateo Joseph, who has taken on a greater role at the start of this season.
Mateo Joseph's promising start to the season
The 20-year-old centre-forward has been tasked with leading the lines for the Whites so far in the 2024/25 campaign, as Farke has placed his faith in the academy graduate.
Joseph has had to bide his time for this chance, after 20 appearances as a substitute in the Championship last term, and is now looking to make the most of his opportunity in the starting XI.
The former England U20 international had caught the eye at youth level with a stunning return of 19 goals in 33 matches for the club's U21 side, which earned him a call-up to the senior team.
He scored three goals in all competitions for the Whites during the 2023/24 campaign, two of which came in a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup.
So far this season, Joseph has started all four of the club's matches in the Championship and has impressed with his contributions in the final third.
Appearances
4
Goals
1
Assists
2
Big chances created
3
Ground duel success rate
38%
Aerial duel success rate
8%
As you can see in the table above, the Spanish youngster has been directly involved in three goals in four games, albeit with only one goal in four games as a number nine.
Whilst his efforts in the final third have been impressive, for a 20-year-old in his first run of stars, Joseph does need to improve his work out of possession.
The young forward has been dominated on the ground and in the air by opposition defenders and will, hopefully, learn from his experiences in recent weeks.
His 8% aerial duel success rate shows that centre-backs are finding it far too easy to get the better of him in the air and that will have to change in matches where Leeds will need an outlet to hold the ball up when they are under pressure.
Joseph's struggles off the ball also show that, whilst he has been one of the top performers for Leeds, he's not been the best of Farke's stars.
Instead, that title should go to central defender Pascal Struijk, who has been the true hero of the season so far since his return to the heart of the defence.
Pascal Struijk's frustrating 2023/24 season
The Dutch centre-back missed the last 27 matches of the 2023/24 campaign with a season-ending groin injury that was sustained at the end of December.
That blow meant that Ethan Ampadu, a defensive midfielder by trade, was forced to play as a central defender alongside Rodon in the second half of the season.
It was a frustrating injury for Struijk and for Leeds as the former Ajax man had enjoyed a fantastic start to the season next to the Spurs loanee at the back.
Appearances
23
Pass accuracy
90%
Ball recoveries per game
6.1
Ground duel success rate
61%
Aerial duel success rate
61%
As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman was a dominant force at the heart of the defence for Farke in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, winning 61% of his duels on the deck and in the air.
Pascal Struijk's form this season
The left-footed defender returned from injury this summer and has started the season as the manager's first-choice centre-back next to Rodon in the Championship.
He has been the star of the show and the real hero for Farke, so far, with his composed and dominant performances in the second tier for the Whites.
Struijk started the season with a goal against Portsmouth in the 3-3 draw at Elland Road, converting coolly from the spot after a penalty was awarded to the home side.
Since that crazy match on the opening day, the Dutch colossus has kept three clean sheets in three Championship games, with West Brom, Sheffield Wednesday, and Hull all failing to score against Leeds.
The 24-year-old titan has been a dominant force at the back once again, winning 62% of his duels, and has won 100% of his attempted tackles in the division, which shows that he has barely put a foot wrong defensively.
Meanwhile, Rodon has only won 52% of his duels and has lost 80% of his battles on the ground, whilst making 2.8 ball recoveries per match.
As you can see in the graphic above, the towering defender has recovered the ball five times per match and registered 95 touches of the ball per game on average.
Struijk has made 18 progressive passes and delivered two shot-creating actions with those touches, which shows that the centre-back looks to play forward and progress the play for his team.
These statistics, and the team's record of three clean sheets in four league matches, suggest that the Dutchman has been the key to the club's success on the pitch, stepping up when Rodon has struggled, and that is why he has been the real hero over Joseph.
Leeds hit gold on amazing star who's worth more than Ramazani & Solomon
Leeds United will hope this star can continue delivering under pressure.
1 ByKelan SarsonSep 1, 2024
