Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is on his way to matching Marcelo Bielsa's achievement of winning a Championship title at Elland Road.
The Whites are currently sat at the top of the second tier after their 2-0 win over Millwall in Yorkshire before the international break, thanks to Leicester City's involvement in the FA Cup meaning that they did not play in the league that weekend.
Bielsa won the Championship in his second season in charge of the club, and went on to manage the side for almost two seasons in the Premier League.
The Argentine tactician made several successful signings alongside Victor Orta – including the likes of Raphinha, Jack Harrison, and Patrick Bamford – but there were also some flops along the way.
One of his first signings at Elland Road was central midfielder Lewis Baker on loan from Premier League giants Chelsea in the summer of 2018, and the English dynamo flopped in Yorkshire.
Since his struggles under Bielsa, though, the talented gem has made his way to Stoke City in the present day and is currently outperforming Whites star Ilia Gruev in the Championship.
Lewis Baker's struggles with Leeds
The former England U21 international arrived at the club off the back of one goal and zero assists in 12 second tier appearances on loan with Middlesbrough during the previous season.
His short spell on Teeside came after a hugely successful two years in the Netherlands with Vitesse on loan from Chelsea, in which he showed his attacking qualities in midfield.
The Blues academy graduate racked up an eye-catching 20 goals and 11 assists in 73 appearances for the Dutch side across the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns, which included 15 goals and eight assists in the Eredivisie.
Leeds, therefore, may have been excited to bring Baker in as he appeared to have the potential to provide a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the middle of the park.
Unfortunately, however, it just did not work out for him at Elland Road as he failed to land regular minutes in Bielsa's midfield during the first half of the season.
Appearances
11
Starts
2
Goals
0
Assists
0
Key passes per game
0.0
Dribbles completed per game
0.2
As you can see in the table above, Baker only started two of his 11 appearances in the Championship for Leeds and, remarkably, did not create a single chance for his teammates in those matches.
He also only made one tackle and one interception, whilst being dribbled past four times by opposition players, in those 11 games, which shows that the midfielder struggled in and out of possession throughout his short spell with the Whites.
His startling lack of impact at both ends of the pitch resulted in Bielsa and Leeds cutting his loan deal short in January 2019, as he left Thorp Arch to return to Chelsea and then join Reading on loan for the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.
Where Lewis Baker is now
The now-28-year-old star is currently playing for Stoke City in the Championship, in the same division as the Farke's Whites, after spells with Fortuna Düsseldorf and Trabzonspor on loan, having signed from Chelsea on a permanent deal in January 2022.
Baker produced eight goals and two assists in 21 league appearances during his debut campaign with the Potters in the second half of the 2021/22 term, before a return of seven goals and five assists in 44 second tier outings during the 2022/23 campaign.
A knee injury last summer forced the experienced maestro to miss the first 17 matches of this season but he has returned to showcase his quality in midfield at Championship level.
As you can see in the table below, the Stoke metronome has bounced back from that blow to produce quality in and out of possession for his side.
Appearances
15
Starts
10
Goals
2
Big chances created
3
xA
1.94
Ground duel success rate
51%
Aerial duel success rate
57%
Baker has won the majority of his duels – on the ground and in the air – whilst also making an impact at the top end of the pitch with goals and high-quality chances created.
In fact, the Stoke ace ranks within the top 11% of midfielders in the division for Expected Assisted Goals (0.20) per 90, and the top 10% for shot-creating actions (4.31) per 90, which speaks to his fantastic creativity in possession.
Ilia Gruev's form for Leeds
Meanwhile, Gruev has emerged as a regular starter in central midfield since the turn of the year, starting alongside Finland international Glen Kamara for Leeds.
The Bulgarian ace has not offered much in the way of creativity for his side from the middle of the park, ranking within the bottom 19% of midfielders for Expected Assisted Goals (0.04) per 90, and the bottom 15% for shot-creating actions (1.53) per 90 in the division.
He is among the worst in the Championship when it comes to creating for his teammates, whereas Baker – as aforementioned – has been one of the best in that area.
Appearances
15
23
Ball recoveries per game
3.8
2.9
Tackles won per game
0.7
1.7
Ground duel success rate
51%
56%
Aerial duel success rate
57%
56%
Goals
2
0
Key passes per game
1.7
0.5
Expected Assists
1.94
1.12
As you can see in the table above, Gruev has the edge over the Stoke star on the deck when it comes to making tackles, but the English whiz has outperformed him at winning the ball back, dominating opposition players in the air, scoring goals, and creating opportunities for his team.
Therefore, Baker is currently outperforming the Bulgaria international in the Championship as he has made a bigger impact in and out of possession in various key metrics, with both players playing in the same division.
This is not to say that Leeds made a mistake with the 28-year-old wizard, as it was perhaps a case of the right place at the wrong time, but it is nice to see that the former Whites flop is now thriving in the second tier after his previous struggles in Yorkshire.