Anton Stach is a reserved person in conversation, but one look at his Instagram profile and you’d think otherwise. Since arriving at Leeds last summer, he has been the face of many social media memes, making fun of not only his team-mates but himself.
Balancing the “silly and serious sides” of football, as the midfielder puts it, will be crucial as Leeds look to survive an eight-game stalemate with enough points to stay in the Premier League.
Daniel Farke’s side are without a win in their last five league games, their longest winless run of the season, and have won just two of their 13 games since Christmas. Despite the draws against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Everton, Stutch has been heavily involved in games where they have picked up points.
And it is this particular involvement that has led to the Germany international being compared to Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes on the day he was called up to the national team for the first time in over four years.
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No player has created more chances from set pieces in this season’s Premier League than Stach’s 27, which puts him on par with Fernandes. Leeds have benefited greatly from this, scoring a higher percentage of their league goals from set pieces than any other team (13/37).
Stach is personally responsible for four of them.
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Leeds midfielder Anton Stacchi fired a long-range free-kick past Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez and into the top corner.
“He’s a great player so it’s great to play alongside him,” Stutch told Sky Sports from Leeds’ Thorpe Arch training ground. “We work a lot on this to make sure we have the right delivery and the right location.”
Stitch has excellent aim and a perfect target to direct his delivery to. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who received another international recall this week, has produced the fifth-highest xG value (2.67) from set-pieces of all players in the league this season. This figure exceeds all of Arsenal’s substitutes and he is widely regarded as the best set-piece converter in the division.
“It’s also about player movement. When you take a good shot, you need your players to run inside the box to score. Otherwise you can’t create chances. That’s something we have to remember.”
“I’ve been practicing corner kicks and free kicks, and we’re working together to get the right automaticity.” Only three players this term, including Fernandes, Declan Rice and James Garner, have surpassed Statch’s expected assists from dead ball situations (2.29).
But the 27-year-old, who is playing outside Germany for the first time, is more than just a fan of set pieces. His physicality and aggression are key to the way Falke wants to play. The foundations of this Leeds team are built around the stability of their midfield trio.
Stutch is tasked with retrieving the ball high, and he accomplishes this task more efficiently than anyone else. Only Bukayo Saka, 25, has possessed the ball more times in the attacking third than Stach’s 21 times, allowing other players to flock to dangerous parts of the pitch and press.
He has all the best traits of this battling Leeds side, clinical at set-pieces but also a fierce runner, as keen to engage in duels and dominate as he is to find ways to unleash teams in possession. Stutch controls the tempo, is the main passer into Leeds’ final third and is the most accurate player to cross the ball.
“The atmosphere in the team is very good,” he continued. “It’s a good mix of entertaining and competitive, and it’s important to maintain that because the season is long. There are a lot of games and it can be painful, so a good mood is important to create more energy.”
“We need to be consistent, we know that. Sometimes it’s just adjusting small things. We haven’t scored a goal in the last three games. We’re trying more in front of goal to be greedy. The main idea is the same and shouldn’t change, so it’s important not to change too much.”
Live on Sky Sports on Saturday night, Stutch’s innocent style shines through as he emphasizes the need to “keep calm” and “get things done” ahead of the visit to Brentford. Occasions like this, where the home crowd is excited, tend to bring out the best in a Leeds side who have won 22 of their 32 points at Elland Road this year.
Jayden Bogle was stunned by the quality of Stutch’s free-kick against Aston Villa in February
Some improvement is certainly needed after failing to score in three consecutive league games. Perhaps something like Stach’s Fernandes could be the trigger. “Some pressure is good, but not so much that you limit yourself,” he added.
“Sometimes you have to relax, but sometimes pressure can be good. That’s probably why we went that extra meter and maybe that’s why we scored the goal. I hope it’s difficult for Brentford to get into the game.”
Without a doubt, the all-action stitch will personally confirm that.
Watch Leeds vs Brentford live on Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday night. Kickoff at 8pm
