Are Leeds now stronger for replacing Phillips with Roca and Adams?

 

Leeds are expected to raise around £100m from the combined sales of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha. The former has departed for champions Manchester City, while the latter, despite interest from Arsenal and Chelsea, is expected to complete a switch to Barcelona in the coming days.

 

After Jesse Marsch guided Leeds to safety on the final day of the season, the exits of the key pair provides the Whites boss with the ideal foundation to rebuild a squad capable of beating the drop by a greater margin. 

 

Having successfully staved off relegation, Marsch warranted the backing of the board to mould the Leeds squad in his image. 15 of the 38 points Leeds accrued came in the 12 games Marsch oversaw on the back of his February appointment at Elland Road as he successfully steadied the ship in Yorkshire. 

 

Any team losing their star men would be tipped to struggle the following season, and understandably so. Raphinha, for example, was directly involved in 14 of Leeds' 42 league goals, so they'll be unable to call upon such a key performer in the final third for 2022/23. Yet even so, Leeds have strengthened in attack already, bringing in Brenden Aaronson and Luis Sinisterra, the former a player Marsch was already familiar with following their brief stint together at Salzburg. 

 

The latter tore up the Eredivise last season and while he operates on the opposite flank, Sinisterra isn't quite as one-footed as Raphinha, so Marsch has options. To ease the sale of Phillips, both Marc Roca and Tyler Adams have joined from Bundesliga pair Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, respectively. 

 

 

Injury unfortunately restricted Phillips to just 18 league starts for the Whites last season and his absence was felt. Without the England international in the XI, the number of goals conceded per game rose from 1.44 to 2.65, while their points per game return dropped from 1.1 to 0.9. Phillips ranked third for tackles (3.0), fourth for passes (53.5) and fifth for interceptions per 90 (1.4) of all Leeds players in the Premier League last season, and both on and off the ball, Leeds struggled during his time out of the side. 

 

However, to have that much pressure relying on the availability of one player to shield the backline was a risk in itself. No player offered the same nitty-gritty defensive work in the midfield as Phillips, nor did they have the same composure in equal measure. When absent, it's no shock that Leeds failed to keep opponents at bay and part of the reason for their struggles was that Phillips was not fit for the entire season. 

 

Yet, from his departure, Roca and Adams have come in. Should Marsch stick with the 4-2-3-1 setup he favoured following his appointment, then he'll now have two established holding midfielders to call upon rather than just the one to utilise when Phillips was fit to feature. 

 

Roca may have struggled for game time for Bayern Munich last season, registering just nine appearances, five of which were from the outset, yet the 25-year-old still put up a respectable average of 2.1 tackles per 90. Roca's two-year spell in Germany was disappointing to say the least, but if he can recapture his Espanyol form, then Leeds have a solid ball winner to call upon. 

 

Adams, meanwhile, saw injuries impact his 2021/22, with the American making just 12 league starts last season, yet if he can remain fit, then he'll be a handy option to call upon. The 23-year-old has previously described himself as the "engine of the team" and having chipped in with a modest 1.5 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per 90 in Germany's top tier, it's a justifiable tag.

 

He featured regularly under Marsch in the first half of the season prior to the American's dismissal in December and while he is not the most imposing central midfielder, Adams is prepared to get himself about and this high-octane style of play will suit Leeds' approach. That Marsch had the additional strength in depth in such a key area of the pitch, however, is perhaps the most important factor here. 

 

When Phillips was sidelined, and with no sufficient cover in the middle of the park, it came close to costing the Whites their spot in the Premier League. At least now Leeds have addressed this concern with the respective signings of Roca and Adams and there is argument to be made that they are stronger now than when they had Phillips on the books.

Are Leeds now stronger for replacing Phillips with Roca and Adams?