Gordon Strachan Urges Leeds to Protect Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Gordon Strachan has warned that Leeds must protect Dominic Calvert-Lewin from being battered into the ground – physically and mentally – if they want to keep getting the best from their leading striker.

The former title-winning Leeds captain, speaking to GOAL in association with Grosvenor Sport, drew a sharp contrast between the punishment Calvert-Lewin absorbs and the way Erling Haaland is shielded at Manchester City.

“He is constantly getting knocked down, thrashed at, knocked about. It's non-stop for Calvert-Lewin,” Strachan said, highlighting the workload the forward carried in Leeds’ hard-earned draw at Brentford.

Strachan was at the Gtech Community Stadium and left deeply impressed by both the point and the opposition.

“What a good point that was for Leeds because Brentford are a top side, by the way. I mean a top side,” he insisted. “You're talking about a rounded team, that is them. Their three midfield players, I couldn't tell you who was the best. They're three forwards, I couldn't tell you who was the best. I just know they're all good.

“Three midfield players were excellent. The three forwards, with the wide men – I call them wide attackers – they're more rounded. They're more of a team than Man United at the moment, that's for sure.”

Against that kind of cohesive, physical side, Calvert-Lewin became the focal point for everything. Strachan’s concern is that Leeds are asking him to do too much of the dirty work on his own.

“Going back to Calvert-Lewin, yes, I worry about the actual contact he's taking all the time – not just the physical, but the mental side,” he said. “Calvert-Lewin needs to get somebody up beside him, that's playing number 10, or a midfield player getting there.

“So for the rest of the team, there is a drop-off area round about Calvert-Lewin, not just Calvert-Lewin. So if there's somebody else round about him, don’t care who it is who gets up there, it takes away 50% of the knocks that Calvert-Lewin's getting.”

That is where Haaland comes in as the template. Not in style, but in how he is used.

“And if you actually keep him away from the game like Haaland, if you get people up there, you keep him away from the game like Haaland, because that's what he does – he stays away from the game, he lets the people in front of him take the knocks, take the ball, and that's why he's always in the box.”

Calvert-Lewin, Strachan argues, is being dragged into too many collisions too far from goal.

“So I just worry that Calvert-Lewin, he's taking everything on board, and it's very hard for him to get in the box,” he said. “So I think that's why his performance on Sunday was excellent, because in the first half, I was right in front of it, and I see him getting crashed into by two wonderful centre-halves, big centre-halves, taking knocks, trying to keep it in. And then he still managed to score a goal, which is quite phenomenal.”

Leeds, in Strachan’s eyes, face a familiar Premier League dilemma: how do you ease the burden on your main striker without spending a fortune?

“So I would agree, I think if you can get another Calvert-Lewin, do so,” he said. “But where do you get another Calvert-Lewin that’s not going to cost you £40-50 million, for that type of striker?”