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Jack Harrison and Helder Costa by the numbers and what Marcelo Bielsa might want from his Leeds United wingers Jack Harrison has had a frustrating time of it when it comes to crossing, yet there's more to his game (Pic: Getty)
Graham Smyth
Published: 06:00 Wednesday 25 September 2019
Helder Costa turned his body to face the East Stand and trotted inside, forsaking the left touchline for a central position and Marcelo Bielsa turned away in irritation.The moment, during the second half of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Derby County was a fleeting insight into what Bielsa wanted from his £15m substitute and an indication, perhaps, of what it is Jack Harrison does that Bielsa likes.
Leeds United had the ball deep in their own half and Bielsa was gesticulating in his winger’s direction, apparently urging Costa to get wider.
Instead, the Portuguese appeared to go his own way, unaware of his coach’s instruction.
Harrison’s heat map for the current season shows scorched earth on the left flank, tight to the touchline, with a right angle portraying his trademark cut inside.
What he has done very well in the 2019-20 version of Leeds United, is providing a constantly willing and available outlet out wide.
Helder Costa has been restricted to substitute cameos in the Championship (Pic: Getty)
Harrison is attempting to dribble past opponents at a similar rate to last season, but in a more advanced position, with more intent to get into the area.
What he is not doing very well, at present, is crossing the ball.
In the 2018-19 campaign, Harrison attempted to send in 4.68 crosses per 90 minutes.
Just under a third of those were deemed accurate, by football data platform Wyscout.
The current numbers do not make for pretty reading for the Manchester City loanee.
He is trying to send an extra cross per 90 minutes than last season, but his accuracy has dipped.
His accuracy sits at 14 per cent.
He’s in the right place, he’s got the confidence to try and take on a man, he’s consistently trying to whip in delivery after delivery, yet the end product is lacking.
READ: The stats that say Leeds United defender is the hardest to beat in the Championship
By comparison, Costa boasts a crossing accuracy of 58.3 per cent.
The man brought in on loan from Wolves, who will become a permanent Leeds signing next summer, is also successful with half of his attempted dribbles.
Costa is trying to take men on even more relentlessly than Harrison, with greater joy, and then finding a man.
Against Derby, Harrison himself looked as frustrated as anyone as cross after cross was blocked by the first defender.
None of his eight deliveries were accurate, before his exit on the hour.
Yet to his credit, he never stopped trying.
To the credit of Leeds fans, he was afforded a standing ovation for his efforts.
There was, of course, more to his performance than crossing strife.
He was a big part of the high press that caused Derby so much panic in the first half.
Leeds had an abundance of energy down the left, Harrison backed up by Gjanni Alioski and the Rams did not like it one bit, even if they continually sought to pass out from the back and continually gave the ball away.
Of the four occasions when Harrison recovered the ball for Leeds, three of them came in the Derby half of the pitch.
He won two of his three aerial battles.
When he lost the ball, it wasn’t ever in his own half – something Bielsa feels Leeds are better avoiding this season than last.
Costa only gave the ball away once and that was in Leeds’ half.
Harrison also presented a goal threat, firing in four shots, two of which forced Kelle Roos into saves.
Speaking after the game, Bielsa revealed that he had moved Costa to the right wing in order to give Leeds a more solid defensive look in the form of Barry Douglas and Alioski.
Defensively, Harrison has won three quarters of his duels in his 10 appearances. Costa has won a little under two thirds of his.
There is, evidently, a bigger picture that Bielsa has been looking at when deciding to stick with Harrison and use Costa off the bench in the Championship.
There is information we are not privy to.
It could simply be the amount of time he’s had to work with Harrison, who will therefore more instinctively know what the all-controlling Argentine coach wants in any given match situation.
The debate over who should start on the left wing can rumble on until the cows come home and Bielsa will be aware of it, but that won’t cross his mind as he considers who should supply the crosses.
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