Mirco Antenucci and Tommaso Bianchi have made their presence felt at Elland Road.
So things are finally looking up Leeds.
After seven games, the Yorkshire side are up to 13th and are now just six points off the top of the Championship table. That’s a far cry from before Neil Redfearn took over as caretaker boss, when Leeds United had just one win to their name from their first four league games.
And Redfearn isn’t the only man to thank for Leeds’ quick revival, of course, with two Italians in particular showing their value statistically so far this season.
Mirco Antenucci
| Position | Goals/Game | Chances Created/Game | Dribbles Won/Game | Shots/Game | Shots on Target/Game | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirco Antenucci | FW | 0.25 | 1 | 1.25 | 1.75 | 0.5 | 4 | 351 |
| Souleymane Doukara | FW | 0.25 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.75 | 0.25 | 4 | 235 |
| Billy Sharp | FW | 0.17 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.33 | 0.33 | 6 | 461 |
The first is experienced striker Mirco Antenucci, who scored his first goal for the club during Leeds’ 3-1 win at Bournemouth last night.
Indeed, Antenucci has made his impact simply by being his side’s liveliest player in the final third. Along with Souleymane Doukara, the Italian boasts a healthy dribble per game rate – one that will no doubt increase as the season progresses – and does most of his damage by taking more shots than his team-mates.
In four games so far, Antenucci has averaged two shots a game, also giving him a higher shots on target per game average than anyone else. It is not an astronomical amount by any stretch but, when you consider Leeds have only scored seven in seven so far this season, every little helps – and it got him the all-important goal last night.
| Match | Goals | Dribbles Won | Shots | Shots On Target | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirco Antenucci | Bournemouth vs Leeds United | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 81 |
Tommaso Bianchi
| Position | Accurate Passes/Game | Successful Final-Third Passes/Game | Passing Accuracy | Forward Passes/Game | Touches/Game | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommaso Bianchi | MF | 49.33 | 10.83 | 84% | 18.83 | 75.67 | 6 | 540 |
| Alex Mowatt | MF | 45 | 10.5 | 85% | 17.5 | 72 | 2 | 180 |
| Rodolph Austin | MF | 41.67 | 7.33 | 83% | 15.33 | 66.17 | 6 | 473 |
| Scott Wootton | DF | 38.5 | 5.5 | 75% | 23 | 66.5 | 2 | 180 |
| Stephen Warnock | DF | 36 | 8 | 87% | 14.86 | 63.71 | 7 | 581 |
Tommaso Bianchi’s impact has perhaps been even more profound, with this Italian specialising in midfield and leading the race for the title of Leeds’ best passer.
The 25-year-old averages almost 50 accurate passes per game and almost 11 in the final third – more than any other Leeds player.
His overall passing accuracy could be higher but is a steady 84 per cent, while he also averages more forward passes than any of his team-mates and takes more touches. A playmaker in its true sense.
So, while Leeds’ progress is only at its beginning, they can have Antenucci and Bianchi to thank for getting the basics right and providing stability in midfield and in the final third. More of the same would no doubt be welcome at Elland Road.
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