Leeds could spring a surprise by unleashing "boundless" gem over Byram
da bwin： The nerves will already be in the air in West Yorkshire ahead of tonight's decisive Championship semi-final second-leg clash between Leeds United and Norwich City, with a winner coming out victorious at the end of play no matter what even if a penalty shoot-out is required.
da pinnacle： Daniel Farke's Whites will hope it's a more straightforward affair sealed in normal time for the sake of the tense Leeds fans watching on around Elland Road, with the promotion hopefuls wanting to attack from minute one to score early to calm down anxiety levels.
To achieve that, the German boss could be prepared to make some bold selection calls which could even see Sam Byram drop out of the starting XI despite putting in a valiant defensive effort in the stalemate first leg in Norfolk.
This could well be the switch that makes the Whites more gung-ho on the ball, as opposed to allowing the Canaries to play on the nerves of the home team struggling to break them down to then try and eke out a result.
Sam Byram's performance vs Norwich in numbers
Byram, up against his former employers, put in a rock-solid shift at right-back to ensure Leeds weren't breached making the trip down to Carrow Road.
Completing five tackles in total, which included one heroic effort to thwart an advancing Borja Sainz for David Wagner's men, the 30-year-old full-back also won an impressive eight duels from the 13 he attempted on the day.
Still, the defender's attacking game in Norfolk arguably left a lot to be desired which has been the case for the majority of the season too.
Failing to complete a single accurate cross in the contest, on top of zero on-target efforts and zero key passes being registered, the ex-Norwich man didn't ever really strike fear into the Canaries down the flanks.
Byram vs Roberts over full Championship seasons
Stat per 90 mins
Byram – 2023/24
Roberts – 2022/23
Goals scored
2
4
Shots per game
0.7
0.7
Goal conversion
9%
14%
Assists
1
6
Touches
48.0
81.1
Key passes
0.6
1.0
Stats by Sofascore
Looking at the table above, Roberts could well give Leeds more of an attacking impetus from down the channels if selected ahead of Byram tonight with the Welshman raring to make a difference after a stop-start loan switch to date with Farke's side.
How Roberts could impact the game
Roberts' directness as an attack-minded full-back helped Burnley to pick up the Championship title during the 2022/23 season, hopeful, in the here and now, that he can aid Leeds in their own promotion story.
The 28-year-old's "boundless energy" – as it was referred to by The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell – would be a very effective calling card for Farke to play tonight, especially if Norwich sit back.
Indeed, Roberts could just run and run until the Canaries can't keep the Leeds attacks at bay any longer.
Already scoring a big goal this season in front of the Elland Road masses, firing home the equaliser against Leicester City in February when automatic promotion still looked achievable, Roberts is the man for the big occasion as was showcased with the Clarets.
His strike against Middlesbrough towards the latter stages of the 2022-23 campaign clinched promotion up to the Premier League for Vincent Kompany's men, with the potential for him to play another starring role if selected against Norwich.
Leeds will know Norwich won't be pushovers and will come with a staunch gameplan in mind, with the likes of Blackburn Rovers winning by a solitary goal in the regular season by frustrating the home side in this manner.
But, in such a huge contest, the Whites will need to be firing on all cylinders in attack and Roberts could be a smart call to start alongside the usual suspects of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.
Farke drops Rutter to the bench in predicted Leeds lineup vs Norwich
The possible starting XI that the German boss could select to take to the field on Thursday night.
ByDan EmeryMay 15, 2024