Leeds United’s Newest Signing Marc Roca: Analysis
By Aditya Kumar
How Marc Roca Will up the Tempo at Elland Road
He very rarely stands idle in a position and is always moving. He scans the field multiple times before he receives a pass and upon receiving the ball, he controls it with as few touches as possible. This allows him to not get caught up in possession and keep the ball moving, maintaining or even raising the tempo of the game.
He usually operates around the middle third, on either side of the centre circle. During the build-up, he allows the defenders to receive the ball from the keeper and makes himself available for the second pass.
He also has a versatile arsenal of passes. He can play short passes, sharp passes, and long passes and even produce quick switches of play. His long passes will especially benefit someone like Patrick Bamford who has good movement off the ball and can find spaces in, behind the defensive line.
Under Jesse Marsch, Leeds United look to play narrow where finding teammates in central areas becomes key. This is something Roca is really good at. He is very good at finding players between the lines and with the pace of Daniel James and Raphinha, this could benefit Leeds United.
Playing for a team like Espanyol, Roca knows how to relieve the team of pressure and put them back on the front foot, something Marsch will look to exploit during his time at Elland Road.