Marcelo Bielsa isn’t one to change his starting XI that much.
You could probably name Leeds’ team most weeks and get the majority of them right.
Indeed, there are eight players at the club who have played 29 or more league games this term, and six of those have appeared in every single match.
Some positions are absolutely secure, Kiko Casilla starts every encounter in goal when he’s available, Patrick Bamford is quite clearly the first-choice striker and Jack Harrison is Bielsa’s favoured left-winger.
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However, one spot the Argentine has struggled to decide on is at left-back.
The full-back spot has previously been described as Leeds’ problem position, and Graham Smyth echoed that sentiment once again this week when he named right-back as his position of the year.
Left-back has been a dodgy position, but the fact of the matter is that it doesn’t have to be like that.
A look at the stats shows that Stuart Dallas should really be the only man considered to start at left-back.
He’s been needed in midfield quite a lot this season due to injuries to Adam Forshaw and Pablo Hernandez, but the Spaniard is back now, as is Kalvin Phillips after his suspension.
Dallas makes more tackles than both Alioksi and Douglas, and he also blocks more shots.
He doesn’t quite make as many interceptions as the Macedonian, but Alioski’s good work when recovering the ball is far too often undone by sloppy work in possession – he is dispossessed much more often than the Northern Irishman.
Of course, the modern full-back has to get forward as well as he defends, and Dallas may be the best at that as well. The 28-year-old delivers the least number of unsuccessful crosses per game out of Bielsa’s three options.
By no means does Dallas completely blow Alioski and Douglas away, but he’s consistent in every single area, and that’s something that neither of his rivals can offer.
In other news, Leeds may forever live to regret not completing this signing in 2018.
