Leeds United have lost their last two games and have arguably been short of their best for a while longer.
Leeds United’s Kyle Bartley and Luke Ayling (R) look dejected
Leeds United’s play-off hopes were dealt another blow on Tuesday night as they suffered a 2-0 defeat away at Brentford just days after fellow promotion-chasers Reading beat the Whites 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium.
While Leeds still boast enough of a cushion to the chasing pack that they should still be favourites to secure a top six spot in the Championship, Garry Monk may want to consider changing things up as this current blip has arguably been on the cards for a while now.
Monk’s 4-2-3-1 system has worked wonders at times this term, but perhaps the Leeds boss needs to adopt a fresh approach, even if just for a portion of one of their remaining games, to prevent the Peacocks from becoming predictable.
One of the main problems that has been highlighted in the last two games especially is how isolated Chris Wood can become, and thus, Monk may want to consider adopting a tactic that sees the New Zealander receive more support up top.
So could that move be the blessing that largely-forgotten striker Marcus Antonsson has waited for?
Leeds’ Marcus Antonsson in action
Following the Swede’s £2 million move in the summer (via Yorkshire Evening Post), he initially looked bright especially with his movement and scored in the win over Sheffield Wednesday back in August.
However, the tactical change to a system that involves just one forward being selected has arguably hurt no one in the squad more than it has hurt Antonsson, as he has struggled to play that lone-striker role that Wood has often played exceptionally this term, and has not found another position that allows him to thrive.
Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, Monk previously had no real reason to change the formation as he was the only player who perhaps went backwards following the change, but with Leeds fans crying out for a plan B to be utilised in the remaining weeks, the door may be open for Antonsson if Monk listens to the supporters.
Playing two up front may help Leeds create more chances, especially as Antonsson making the clever runs he made earlier in the campaign may leave more space for the recently-suffocated Wood to exploit.
Although Monk may want to keep faith with the system that took them up the table in the first place, having that alternative plan up the sleeve will surely boost their promotion hopes after a difficult spell.
And if he utilises a system that sees the Whites play two up front, then perhaps Leeds’ forgotten man could actually prove to be their wildcard in the final weeks of the season.
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