'I can imagine exactly the same game as Leicester' - Mateusz Klich predicts West Ham strategy and reveals Leeds United's simple plan

Leeds United’s ever-present midfielder expects the Hammers to try and do exactly what Leicester did en route to a 4-1 Elland Road win, when David Moyes’ men arrive in Yorkshire tonight.

The Foxes used their pace and counter-attacking excellence to pounce on Leeds’ mistakes and frustrate the hosts.

West Ham’s gameplan will be exactly the same, Klich is certain.

“I can imagine exactly the same game as Leicester; they’re going to sit back, wait for the counter attack, use the speed they have with [Jarrod] Bowen and Antonio to try and surprise us,” he told The Yorkshire Evening Post.

“We just need to do better than against Leicester.”

What, exactly, must Leeds do better then to avoid a similar fate? Football is a simple game, it is said, and so is the answer, for the Whites.

“Score goals,” replied Klich.

“If we scored to go 1-0 up and Leicester didn’t go with the counter-attack, things would be different. We just need to score goals, we create chances every game, I’ve had chances I should have scored.

“We need to do better. We play good, we look good, we look sharp when we run a lot but, if you don’t score goals, it’s pointless.”

The Leicester result and a defeat by the same scoreline at Palace were arguably the low points of the season so far for Leeds but, as a newly-promoted team, there has to be realism about the quality they now face and the 14 points they have picked up put them in better shape than their fellow new boys Fulham [seven points] and West Brom [six].

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have built a 13-point lead over Sheffield United, too, which allows Leeds to be relatively happy with their start to the season.

“We are [pleased],” said Klich, but he’s insistent on that improvement in front of goal if a good start is going to become a satisfactory finish.

“As you can see, other teams at the bottom of the table struggle to get wins and points,” he said.

“We have 14 points, a couple of wins and really good games against top teams.

“We’re happy with our performances but we need many more points and goals to be safe.

“That’s our goal. Simple as that, we have to score more goals and use our chances because it’s a very hard league.”

Leeds will be without Robin Koch and Diego Llorente for the 8pm clash, so Luke Ayling is set to play at centre-half alongside Liam Cooper, with Rodrigo coming into the starting line-up for the first time since the October win at Aston Villa.

Klich has been impressed by the Spanish international and Leeds’ other new attacker, Raphinha.

“I find them very good players,” he said.

“Raphinha has showed already he can play good football, Rodrigo was the best player on the pitch against Aston Villa but Coronavirus stopped him a little bit.

“He’s getting back and you can see when he comes on, he wants the ball always, he’s dangerous and he gets in very good positions.

“I enjoy playing with both of them; to be fair, I enjoy playing with everyone here.”