Simon Walton has been impressed with the performances of Leeds United duo Kyle Bartley and Chris Wood so far this season.
Simon Walton has told HITC Sport that he has been impressed with the performances of Leeds United duo Kyle Bartley and Chris Wood so far this season.
Bartley, who joined Leeds on a season-long loan deal from Premier League club Swansea City in the summer transfer window, has been playing well for the West Yorkshire outfit this campaign.
The 25-year-old defender has established himself as a key player in the Whites’ back-line.
New Zealand international striker Wood has also been impressive this season and is scoring goals quite regularly.
| Total Shots | Shots on Target | Goals | Scoring V Shooting Accuracy | Chances Created | Goal Assist | Headers Won | Touches | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Wood | 60 | 24 | 13 | 22% | 21 | 1 | 84 | 765 | 24 | 1,839 |
| Passing Accuracy | Tackles Won | Interceptions Won | Ball Recovery | Headers Won | Outfielder Blocks | Effective Clearances | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Bartley | 81% | 23 | 37 | 97 | 84 | 19 | 152 | 24 | 2,160 |
The former Leeds and Queens Park Rangers midfielder Walton was quick to praise the duo when discussing the club’s performances this season.
“For me, I think Kyle Bartley has been the consistently best player so far, his leadership on the pitch and chipping in with important goals,” the 29-year-old told HITC Sport.
“It’s also good to see Chris Wood becoming the striker we all hoped he would be now he gets proper service into him and has the right players around him.”
Leeds are going strong in the Championship at the moment and have a genuine chance of ending the season in the playoffs. Garry Monk’s side are currently fifth in the table with 45 points from 25 matches.
The West Yorkshire outfit are seven points behind second-placed Newcastle United and nine behind leaders Brighton & Hove Albion, who have a game in hand.
Regarding Leeds’s chances of getting promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season, Walton said: “I think with the current squad they are more than capable of making the top six.
“A couple of additions in attacking areas and no reason why we can’t push towards top two, but I can’t see Newcastle or Brighton dropping too many points now.”
Leeds will return to action next week when they take on Cambridge United away from home at the Abbey Stadium in the third round of the FA Cup.
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