Leeds United play host to West Ham United at Elland Road in the Premier League this evening as they look to bounce back from their defeat to Burnley last weekend.
Daniel Farke’s side created four ‘big chances’ against the Clarets at Turf Moor last Saturday, but were unable to score any of them in a drab defeat.
It is safe to say that the German tactician needs more from his players at the top end of the pitch to pick up enough points to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Whites only made three attacking signings in the summer, Noah Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Lukas Nmecha, and they are the only attackers in the squad who have directly contributed to goals.
Noah Okafor
2
0
Lukas Nmecha
1
0
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
1
0
Brenden Aaronson
0
0
Dan James
0
0
Wilfried Gnonto
0
0
Jack Harrison
0
0
Joel Piroe
0
0
As you can see in the table above, not a single attacker in the squad has registered an assist in the league, and none of the players who were already at the club before the window have scored any goals in the top-flight.
Jack Harrison started on the left flank, in a 4-3-3 system, in the loss to Burnley last time out, and Farke should drop him from the team for this clash with the Hammers.
Why Jack Harrison should be dropped
The German head coach should drop the left-footed forward from the starting XI because his current form and his form from his two seasons with Everton suggest that he is not the answer to their problems.
Leeds, as aforementioned, are lacking goals from their attacking players. That was an issue against Burnley as the Whites missed all four of their ‘big chances’, one of which was spurned by Harrison.
Minutes
66
Shots
2
Shots on target
0
Big chances missed
1
Key passes
1
Big chances created
1
Successful crosses
0/7
Possession lost
14x
Harrison, as shown in the table above, did create a ‘big chance’, for Brenden Aaronson, in his defence, but that was one positive in an otherwise dismal showing.
The 28-year-old dud has now failed to provide a goal or an assist for the team in seven Premier League matches, per Sofascore, whilst creating just one chance in that time.
Harrison also managed just four goals in 63 Premier League outings for Everton during his time on loan at Goodison Park, per Sofascore, which included one goal in 34 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign for the Toffees.
This suggests that Farke cannot rely on the left-sided attacker to turn things around and prove himself to be a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch for his side in their battle against relegation this season.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
It is also why Farke should take Harrison out of the starting line-up for this clash with West Ham United, because it seems unlikely that he will provide the ruthlessness they need in front of goal.
The manager, as shown in the post above, suggested in his pre-match press conference that Noah Okafor may return from his adductor injury to be involved this evening.
Why Noah Okafor is a difference maker for Leeds
AllLeedsTV present Oscar Marrio described the Switzerland international as a “class difference maker” for the West Yorkshire outfit earlier this month, but why is that the case?
The simple answer is that it is down to quality. Okafor’s technical ability, on this season’s showing, is on another level compared to the other attackers in the first-team squad.
Per Sofascore, the Swiss star has completed 2.2 dribbles per game on average in the Premier League. No other player in the team has completed more than 1.3 per game and no one other than Gabriel Gudmundsson has completed more than 0.9 dribbles per game.
The statistic in the post above shows that his dribbling skills have been impressive by Premier League standards, not just Leeds United standards, which further speaks to the ability that he can provide on the ball.
Okafor is not just a flashy dribbler who can take players on and get fans off their seats, though, as he has also shown that he has end product to his performances.
Starts
4
xG
1.16
Goals
2
Conversion rate
33%
Big chances missed
0
Big chances created
1
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, the £18m signing from AC Milan has provided genuine quality at the top end of the pitch with two goals from 1.16 xG, without missing a single ‘big chance’.
Okafor’s goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the club’s 3-1 win back in September was a great example of him combining his pace, composure, and quality all into one piece of play.
The 25-year-old dynamo is a difference maker because he has attributes that allow him to make an impact in the final third, whilst Harrison’s statistics suggest that he does not share many of those attributes.
Okafor, given his start to life at Elland Road, seems far more likely to produce a moment of magic to win Leeds points against West Ham this evening in the Premier League, which is why Farke should drop Harrison to bring him into the starting line-up.
Prior to the news that Okafor was in contention to feature, Football FanCast, in the article above, suggested that U21 starlet Connor Douglas could be an alternative to Harrison. If the Swiss star does end up not being fit enough to start, the 20-year-old gem could still be an option.
