Leeds United host Championship leaders Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Leeds United take on Championship leaders Brighton on Saturday and boss Uwe Rosler has an important decision to make regarding midfielder Alex Mowatt.
The 20-year-old is rightly viewed as one of the brightest talents Leeds have produced in recent years, winning last year’s Player of the Year award and impressing with nine Championship goals.
This season, however, has been a real struggle for the youngster.
| Season | Goals per Game | Assists per Game | Touches per Game | Accurate Passes per Game | Key Passes per Game | Tackles per Game | Duel Winner per Game | Ball Recoveries per Game | Appearances | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Mowatt | 2014-2015 | 0.24 | 0.05 | 51.32 | 28.95 | 1.29 | 1.13 | 3.26 | 4.29 | 38 |
| Alex Mowatt | 2015-2016 | 0 | 0 | 35.4 | 22.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 3 | 10 |
As per the table provided by Opta Stats, Mowatt’s form throughout the 2014/15 campaign eclipses his form from this season in every single key category mentioned.
The most telling, though, is his general involvement last season – averaging 51.32 touches per Championship encounter compared to this season’s tally of 35.4.
Rosler appears to have highlighted Mowatt’s ability in the final third, pushing him forward in a more advanced midfield role and sacrificing his defensive duties.
However, the gamble has seemingly failed to pay off as the academy product has been inefficient this season while leaving his teammates exposed to counterattacks through the middle.
Rosler has a big decision to make as his current system isn’t working; play Mowatt deeper or drop him.
Brighton have been an extremely solid outfit this season, yet the Seagulls aren’t afraid to push forward in numbers and capitalise on the space afforded to them by their opponents.
Chris Hughton’s men will identify Leeds’ fragility in midfield and look to exploit that area when they can.
The Whites must remain compact in the middle and in Lewis Cook, Luke Murphy and Tom Adeyemi they have players capable of performing the necessary defensive duties through the middle.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox