(Credit: Imago)
(Credit: Imago)

Anton Stach posts message as Leeds United's goalscoring woes intensify

Jonathan Burnett

Jonny is a University of Leeds journalism graduate who became part of the FootballInsider team in Spring 2024, and recently worked as Head of Media for Widnes Vikings Rugby League club. Writing as a freelance reporter and commentator for The Sporting News and StatsPerform, he has covered matches in competitions including the FIFA Men's and Women's World Cups, as well as the Champions League, Women's Euro 2022, Six Nations and the Rugby Union World Cup.

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Leeds United will "keep pushing" until the January transfer window opens after their goalscoring issues were laid bare against Fulham.

Daniel Farke's side were on the end of an agonising 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage as an own goal from Gabriel Gudmundsson gifted Fulham the victory in stoppage time, depriving Leeds of a valuable point.

Leeds had held their own at the back until that bizarre 94th-minute own goal from a Fulham corner, but their end-product in attack was criticised with Dominic Calvert-Lewin singled out as "bang average".

Football Insider revealed on 7 September that sources have labelled Farke as "going into a gunfight with a water pistol", making the final third the most obvious area in which Leeds need to strengthen in the January window.

Anton Stach Leeds United
Stach was one of 10 signings made at Elland Road over the summer (Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media)

Leeds lose in 'tough' circumstances as Anton Stach speaks out

Injuries to Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu had left Leeds with a huge hole in midfield, making Anton Stach's role even more crucial to making Farke's side tick despite Ampadu's return to lead the side against Fulham.

Ampadu, Stach and another new signing in Sean Longstaff had held firm in West London until Leeds came undone with that Gudmundsson own-goal, as the Whites instead came unstuck further forward.

Tanaka is on his way back to fitness at Elland Road, but Stach is expected to retain his place after strong displays in Leeds' four matches so far, including the 5-0 drubbing by Arsenal on their previous trip south.

Stach posted on his Instagram story on Sunday with a message after the dust had settled from Leeds' loss at Craven Cottage, in which he said: "Tough loss, but we keep pushing".

Anton Stach's Instagram story
(Credit: @anton_stach on Instagram)

Daniel Farke demands reinforcements after Leeds issues laid bare

Football Insider Verdict

Players like Stach and Gudmundsson have established themselves as certain starters when Leeds are at full-strength, but Calvert-Lewin, Joel Piroe and Lukas Nmecha all have question marks over their places.

Football Insider revealed on Sunday that Farke's priority is for Leeds to sign a wide attacker rather than another striker in the January window, after they missed out on a move for Harry Wilson on deadline day.

Wilfried Gnonto and Noah Okafor have both shown fleeting signs of the ability needed to pull Leeds away from the relegation zone, but it remains to be seen how long it takes for Farke to find a winning formula.

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