Birmingham City 1 Leeds United 0: Shaughnessy over Klich and Anita, starting Saiz and a pivotal January - Talking Points
Matesuz Klich’s role at Leeds
Polish international central midfielder Klich looked to have been handed the ideal opportunity to net a rare start for Leeds as news emerged that fellow centre midfielders Eunan O’Kane and Ronaldo Vieira would both miss the clash at St Andrew’s with injury.
Yet Whites head coach Thomas Christiansen instead opted to start the very inexperienced Conor Shaughnessy alongside Kalvin Phillips with Shaugnessy also preferred to former Newcastle United man Vurnon Anita.
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Hide AdKlich has been capped ten times by the Polish national side and Anita made 27 appearances for a Newcastle United team that won the Championship last season whereas former Reading youth player Shaughnessy had never started a league game in midfield.
It looked like a bit of a gamble and Christiansen explained that the more physical presence of Shaughnessy was selected specifically to deal with the threat of Southampton loanee striker Sam Gallagher and Shaughnessy still kept his place when Klich was finally called for in the second half as the Pole instead replaced Phillips.
If O’Kane and Vieira are still missing, it may well be that Klich now starts on New Year’s Day for Leeds at home to Nottingham Forest.
If not, the fact that Klich is not starting even without O’Kane and Vieira does not bode particularly well for his immediate Whites future.
Should Christiansen have started Samu Saiz?
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Hide AdHindsight is a wonderful thing but the decision to start with a clearly fit Saiz on the bench at St Andrew’s is clearly now the subject of some debate.
Christiansen’s decision to stick as close as possible to the winning side that triumphed at Burton Albion was understandable and the Dane said his plan was always to bring a fresh Saiz on after the interval against a tiring Blues side with the game having opened up.
United’s attacking prowess not surprisingly improved after Spanish trickster Saiz was introduced in his favourite no 10 role as Pablo Hernandez switched to the left wing.