At the risk of raining on Jesse Marsch’s parade, Leeds United’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night had a real ‘papering over the cracks’ feel about it.
Yes, Leeds deserve massive credit for scrapping tooth-and-nail until the bitter end, coming from 2-0 down to triumph away from home at a club who have made grinding out results their trademark under Bruno Lage.
For the second Premier League game in a row, Leeds scored the winning goal in stoppage time, putting a seven-point buffer between themselves and Watford in 18th place.
Their attitude, their desire, cannot be questioned.
But Marsch won’t need reminding about the size of the task facing him at Elland Road.
Leeds’ defending, once again, left a lot to be desired at Molineux. Wolves could and probably should have been out of sight at half time. And it was only a hugely controversial red card to Raul Jimenez that turned the game on it’s head.
And, while Leeds were far better than a limited Norwich side six days earlier, the visitors still had more than enough chances to claim a point they scarcely deserved on the balance of play. Remember, mere moments after Joe Gelhardt’s limbstorm winner, Illan Meslier was called upon to deny Teemu Pukki one-v-one.
Can Jesse Marsch solve Leeds United defensive deficiencies?
No team in Premier League history has ever conceded more goals (67) at this stage of a season.
Say what you want about the injuries suffered by Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente and Robin Koch. The fact remains that this Leeds defence is the worst the top-flight has seen since 1992.
Surely, then, the chance to sign a truly top-class centre-half on a free transfer this summer is Leeds cannot afford to let pass them by?
According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, Leeds failed with a £27 million bid for Lazio’s Brazil U23 international Luiz Felipe a few weeks after breaking free of their Championship prison in 2020.
Lazio, at the time, wanted £35 million for a highly-rated defender who had reportedly emerged as Barcelona’s number one defensive target. Two years later, that very same player will be available for absolutely nothing.
Golden opportunity
According to Gianluca di Marzio, Felipe has told Lazio that he will not be extending his contract. He’ll be a free-agent in July. And Real Betis are interested.
But while Felipe’s form has dipped of late, it would feel like a real missed opportunity if a defender Leeds were willing to pay nearly £30 million for two years ago slips through their grasp. Particularly with Marsch’s current backline threatening to crumble under the most minimal pressure week-in, week-out.
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