There have been times this season when Leeds United have looked like promotion contenders but their poor form in 2018 has surely put the play-offs out of sight this time around.

The remainder of this season is most likely to be used by Paul Heckingbottom to get the measure of his squad and plan where he needs to improve the playing staff in the summer transfer window.

The Whites have struggled for goals this season and while the departure of last season’s top scorer, Chris Wood, is one factor, so is a lack of creativity.

[ad_pod ]

Under both Thomas Christiansen and Heckingbottom, Leeds have failed to find a formula that churns out chances on a consistent basis and that is one of the main reasons they slipped out of the promotion picture.

With that in mind, Football FanCast have had a closer look at the numbers to see how many chances the Leeds players have made so far this season, and who are the top five in the rankings…

Roofe isn’t always the most popular player among Leeds fans and his position has varied throughout the season.

While it is clear that he lacks consistency, he does have ability and coming in the top five on this list shows that he can tee up his team-mates.

However, being in the top five with 16 chances created shows how lacking invention Leeds have been this season.

Phillips is another player who splits opinion among the Whites’ fanbase. However, he can do a bit of everything and that is shown by the fact he is the only central midfielder on this list.

As well as putting his foot in, the academy graduate does like to get forward and contribute where he can and making chances is clearly part of that.

20 chances is not particuarly eye-catching but, on this metric, he is Leeds’ most creative central midfielder.

Alioski – valued at £3.6m by Transfermarkt – has arguably been Leeds’ most inconsistent player this season.

At times, he is capable of going past opponents and making chances for team-mates. However, too often, he is selfish, easily dispossessed and makes poor decisions.

He remains one of the most creative forces available to Heckingbottom; the key is getting him to deliver that on a more regular basis.

There is no doubt about it, the six-game suspension Saiz suffered in January hit Leeds hard. Really hard.

He can operate in any of the roles behind the main striker and has the ability to unlock any defence in the division. Despite his extended absence, he is still second on this list and things might have been different at Elland Road this season if he’d not become embroiled in that spitting scandal in the closing stages against Newport.

He’s the best signing Christiansen made.

The signing of Hernandez, made by Garry Monk last season, felt like a coup at the time for Leeds and these numbers show just what a difference he can make.

It is a mystery that his new contract has not been finalised yet. Hernandez lacks the legs he used to have but playing wide or centrally, he offers Leeds a creative dimension that no other player in the squad can match.

If Leeds have designs on the play-offs next season, Hernandez should be at the heart of it.