This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Gaetano Berardi started against Luton on Saturday and his performance showed that he is a dependable figure for Marcelo Bielsa to call upon in times of need.
On the chalkboard
Leeds are short on defensive numbers currently and have typically relied on Ben White and captain Liam Cooper to start this season, though with the latter not fully fit on Saturday it was the Swiss who got the call.
Berardi is a player who causes uproar amongst the Leeds fanbase. He can be as erratic as he is reliable, with a red card always a potential outcome for the man who has been sent off more times for the Whites than any other player.
Him starting games is a risk for some supporters who oppose him playing, but he repaid his manager with an astute defensive display last time out, helping to limit the opposition to just one goal with four tackles in the hour he spent on the pitch.
The centre-back also managed one clearance and one block, but it is also worth noting that Leeds have lost just one match out of the ten league games he has appeared in – away at Millwall when he only played 14 minutes.
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Reliable back-up?
This term Bielsa seems to have preferred quality over quantity, and that means there is a lack of depth in the striking and defensive positions.
That could act as a concern for a team who need to be at their best for a full season if they are to win promotion, particularly if the first-choice personnel are unavailable.
In defence, it is of concern because Berardi is viewed as an unreliable option, but he is beginning to prove that the Argentine was right to stand by him after his red card against Millwall.
He kept a tight grasp on James Collins and Harry Cornick for most of the game, limiting them to a combined three shots on target, and therefore the knock he picked up in the second half is an issue for the management.
It means that unless Cooper is deemed fit enough to start, Leeds’ only natural fit centre-back available will be a 22-year-old, and Bielsa may have to draft in Luke Ayling to deal with the threat of Reading on Tuesday.
That shows that Berardi is a more important member of the team than some give him credit for, and if he can continue acting as a solid back-up then he will most likely be appreciated by the end of the campaign.
Ayling, too, has been underperforming recently. Here we discuss whether he deserves to start against Reading and the decision Bielsa should make.
