Gordon Strachan's Warning to Leeds on Dominic Calvert-Lewin

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

The title-winning Leeds hero, speaking to GOAL in association with Grosvenor Sport, drew a stark picture of the workload Calvert-Lewin is carrying and urged the club to rethink how isolated he is up front.

“He is constantly getting knocked down, thrashed at, knocked about. It's non-stop for Calvert-Lewin,” Strachan said, painting the image of a centre-forward who spends 90 minutes as a target for defenders rather than as a finisher in the box.

Strachan had a close-up view at the weekend and came away with even greater respect for the shift Calvert-Lewin put in during Leeds’ draw with Brentford – a result he believes should not be underestimated.

“I was at the game on Sunday, and what a good point that was for Leeds because Brentford are a top side, by the way. I mean a top side,” he stressed. “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 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 cohesion, Calvert-Lewin still found a way to make his mark. Strachan watched him scrap with Brentford’s powerful centre-backs, absorb challenge after challenge, and still come up with a goal.

“So I think that's why his performance on Sunday was excellent,” Strachan said. “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.”

The admiration comes with a warning. Strachan fears Leeds are asking too much of their main man, leaving him to fight battles that should be shared.

“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 admitted. The solution, in his eyes, is tactical as much as it is about personnel.

“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.”

Strachan pointed to Erling Haaland as the template for how an elite striker can be devastating without being dragged into every collision and every tussle.

“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.”

For Strachan, that is the crux of it. Calvert-Lewin is being pulled into too many fights, too far from the area where he does his damage.

“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. “He’s taking everything on board” – the hits, the responsibility, the burden of leading the line on his own.

The obvious fix would be to find another striker of similar profile to share the load. Strachan is realistic about how difficult – and expensive – that is.

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

It leaves Leeds with a clear dilemma: change the way they play to shield their star forward, or pay a premium in the market to find someone who can carry the weight with him.