Leeds United suffered only their second defeat of the season to Millwall on Wednesday night, leaving The Whites in third position in the Championship table ahead of the November break.
Seven games without defeat, eight clean sheets in 13 league games, Leeds were in good touch going to London on Wednesday. It looked as if Leeds had every chance to rid themselves of a poor London record.
But Millwall are in good form, too. Four wins in a row now, all resulting in 1-0 wins with Neil Harris’ men now sitting in the top six. Another sign Leeds struggle midweek against a low block, away from home.
The Whites have the chance to right their wrong on Saturday when Leeds host QPR at Elland Road, but it is another stark reminder that this Leeds side is not the finished article and the Whites do lack in areas.
Pascal Struijk has a reminder for Leeds fans and his teammates
Struijk was one of many Leeds players to struggle on Wednesday night. Indeed, Struijk was one of two Leeds players to lose 10 duels at The Den, along with USA star Brenden Aaronson during the 1-0 defeat.
It is hard to find a Leeds player that actually played well on Wednesday night, perhaps Ao Tanaka. Wilfried Gnonto tried to make things happen but came up short – and Pascal Struijk has now posted on Instagram.
His caption read: “Not our night, but games like these occur in a season. Heads up, onwards together.”
Pascal Struijk’s stats for Leeds United against Millwall last night
Struijk has been excellent for Leeds, so the odd off game from the left-footed defender is acceptable. But when it coincides with a lot of other Leeds players, it means the Whites are far from their stunning best.
Pascal Struijk’s Leeds United stats against Millwall:
- Five duels won, but 10 lost
- 96 successful passes, 105 attempted, 91% pass rate
- 114 touches, Leeds’ second-highest
- Seven defensive actions, six recoveries
The Leeds defence has been ravaged over the last three games, after the same back four started the first 11 Championship games of the season. But Jayden Bogle and Junior Firpo started again on Wednesday.
Getting that balance and consistency back in defence is crucial going into a busy Christmas period with Saturday’s clash against QPR, the final outing before the November international break kicks in.
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