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Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shares what Leeds must do to ‘become a force in the league’
Leeds United legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the Whites need to commit fewer men to attack and be more compact if they are to “become a force” in the Premier League.
Marcelo Bielsa’s charges moved into the top half of the table with victory over Crystal Palace at Elland Road on Monday night.
Jack Harrison opened the scoring for Leeds after just three minutes, his effort from the edge of the area taking a big deflection off Gary Cahill en route to the back of the net.
Patrick Bamford then secured all three points for the Whites early in the second half with his 100th career goal, firing on the rebound after Vicente Guaita parried Raphinha’s shot into his path.
Leeds, who have now won three of their last four matches in the Premier League, were dominant against Palace, boasting 69 percent of possession and taking 17 shots to the opposition’s eight.
While Hasselbaink acknowledges that his former side’s attacking approach is “beautiful”, he nonetheless reckons Leeds should aim for a more rounded approach.
“It is beautiful for the neutral,” Hasselbaink told .
“It is a brand, the Premier League, and you have to put some kind of beautiful thing on television.
“But if they want to improve and get higher up the league, they need to learn from these moments and understand sometimes we can’t attack with seven (players).
“We need to sometime attack with four and be a little bit more compact. I think if they grasp that, they will become a force in the league.”
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The debate over Leeds’ style of play and Bielsa’s approach has been raging all season, and admittedly, there are quite a few instances when the Whites could’ve done better at the back.
However, we can’t forget this is Leeds’ first season back in the top flight, and they’re vastly outperforming fellow promoted sides West Brom and Fulham, both in the bottom three.
It’s not just a case of entertaining neutrals, it’s also the fact that it’s producing results and yielding points.
Once safety is secured, then Bielsa will surely have a look at how he can bolster his ranks in the summer.