Leeds need to bolster attacking options

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After four consecutive defeats Leeds United’s strong start to the season has been well and truly overshadowed with an unlucky loss at Reading, a deserved one to Burnley, an inevitable knock out at Newcastle and a sloppy performance at the New Den against Millwall unearthing huge deficiencies within the Elland Road outfit.

The lack of wide options in our ranks has been a worry since the start of last season, but as Leeds boss Brian McDermott has previously stated ‘wingers don’t come cheap’ and there’s our problem. It’s been public knowledge that owner’s GFH Capital weren’t intending to spend crazy money on improvements to the team sheet, but supporting the manager is essential, particularly after you’ve brandished promotion promises to the club’s long suffering fan base.

Spending big to grab success in the Championship isn’t always necessary, McDermott knows that better than anyone; however the best teams in the league operate with pace and width and we’re not going to be amongst them if we fail to comply. Even if we went for a young winger on loan from a Premier League side it would be an improvement and it would aid our attacking woes that have seen us score just two goals in our last five games.

Ross McCormack’s goals in the early games of the season helped to secure some decent results, but his goals have dried up as he’s been pushed to the left of midfield in recent weeks and the ‘strikers’ haven’t managed to pick up the slack.

We lack the quality needed in the final third to score goals and the chances we do have equate to nothing, we’re severely short of a goal poacher who’s not shy of finding the back of the net and knows where to be at the right time.

The many strikers we have at the club don’t appear to have the ability or instinct to score multiple goals and without that front man we could find ourselves slipping down the table, particularly if we keep conceding stupid goals.

McDermott told the Yorkshire Evening Post that the board had given permission for a striker to join us before the Millwall game, so the excitement of the Leeds fans was understandable. Names such as Adam Le Fondre, Shane Long and Billy Sharp dominated social media, either of those three would have been exactly what we needed.

As the week went on, a new recruit looked less and less likely, especially one of that calibre as McDermott took his seat at Hull’s League Cup game against Huddersfield to view their Matt Fryatt, an experience that finalised for McDermott that Fryatt was not the answer. McDermott said he will only sign a player he wants and a player that will make a difference rather than bringing someone in for the sake of it. The manager’s comments suggest that the funds made available by the club owners don’t stretch far enough, and certainly wouldn’t bring the likes of Le Fondre or Long to Elland Road.

After dangling the carrot of promotion in our faces and failing to support the manager adequately I think the owners really need to step up. It’s been said time and time again that the club are operating on a ‘one out one in’ basis to keep the wage bill in check, but the departure of Ryan Hall should allow room for a signing McDermott actually wants rather than one who is on low enough wages.

With the funds available for a winger and a prolific striker Leeds could march up the table with ease and those two additions could be the difference between mid-table and promotion. A little ambition from the owners wouldn’t go a miss, and it could make them a tidy profit.

Last season GFH’s David Haigh told the Daily Mail that Leeds aim to be a Premier League team by the ‘end of next season’; a target that won’t be met unless McDermott is given the funds necessary to solve our problems in front of goal.

By Leah Waller, FanZone’s Leeds blogger. Follow her on Twitter at @leahwallerx – and don’t forget to follow @FanZone too!