Leeds United are one of five sides going into their third Sky Bet Championship fixture of the season still searching for a first point in 2016-17.

Garry Monk's Leeds have endured a horror start to this Championship campaign, losing both of their opening two matches to QPR (3-0) and Birmingham (2-1) respectively. After having the better of the first-half against the latter on Saturday, Leeds went on to capitulate in the second-period, with a Michael Morrison winner for Birmingham coming about as a result of some alarmingly dire defending.

It has been a completely different tale so far for tomorrow's visitors Fulham however. Despite losing coveted striking pair Mousa Dembele and Ross McCormack to Celtic and Aston Villa respectively, the Cottagers have taken six points from two games. Slaviša Jokanović's side claimed a reputable scalp in the opening game of the season when they defeated Rafa Benitez's Newcastle United 1-0 by way of a Matt Smith header, and on Saturday they saw off Preston North End 2-1, with goals from Smith and former Hull man Sone Aluko proving enough.

Leeds face an uphill battle in their bid to get off the mark for this season at the third attempt, and many observers are tipping a well coached Fulham side to prove tough opponents tomorrow night.

Team News

(Leeds) - Gaetano Berardi and Marco Silvestri will reportedly miss out with injury, whilst Toumani Diagouraga and Souleymane Doukara are said to be surplus to requirements at Elland Road. Garry Monk is also considering whether to revert back to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

(Fulham) - Ryan Fredericks will miss out due to being afflicted by a knee injury. Veteran midfielder Scott Parker does not usually play two games in three days, meaning that either Ryan Tunnicliffe or new signing Jozabed are likely to replace him.

Media - Former Player Critical of Saturday's Second Half

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan bemoaned United's cataclysmic second-half collapse on Saturday in his Yorkshire Evening Post column. The BBC Leeds co-commentator also stressed that he feels the Whites require both changes in personnel and an alteration of mentality.

Writing in his article today, the 41-year-old said: "If there were any leaders in the side it would have happened on Saturday and we would have seen it."

"But we didn’t see anybody able to do that. There was nobody shouting at the players, there was nobody pointing fingers, nobody dragging people around — telling them to up their game and up the ante and up the tempo of the game and start getting involved."

"So we obviously need a change in mentality and a change of player in there. We need somebody who is going to be nasty, horrible and not out there to make friends because he is there to get the result."

"We are four or five players off at the moment in my mind and it’s four or five players that have got the right mentality and the quality. I would love to see a horrible, nasty person within that side that is not bothered about ruffling some feathers in their own team and in the dressing room and out on the field — someone who is digging people out and spurring people on."

Key Players

Leeds United - Luke Ayling.

24-year-old defender Ayling was thrown straight into the mix of Saturday's game after joining from Bristol City just two days prior, but despite the circumstances, he was most certainly one of United's better performers in the 2-1 defeat to Birmingham. He was one of the scant few Leeds players who actually exhibited an ounce of desire to succeed in the second-half, and he could prove crucial in negating the attacking threat of Fulham left-winger Floyd Ayite should Garry Monk select him tomorrow night.

Fulham - Matt Smith.

27-year-old striker Matt Smith is a name that will be familiar to Leeds fans; he played for the club in the 2013-14 season, scoring 12 league goals. He has been in red-hot form for Fulham so far this term, scoring in the Cottagers' first two games, both of which have ended in victory for the West Londoners. Standing at a towering 6 ft 6, the former Solihull and Oldham man is something of an aerial battering ram, an imposing presence that will pose questions to any defence if given sufficient ammunition.

Match Facts

Leeds have seen under 2.5 goals in 8 of their last 10 matches against Fulham in all competitions.

Leeds have failed to win in their last 5 Championship matches.

There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 7 of Leeds's last 8 games in the Championship.

Fulham have won by a 1 goal margin in their last 3 Championship matches.

Memory Match

This 3-0 victory at Craven Cottage in March 2015 was an eventful one, to say the least. Then-Fulham defender Kostas Stafylidis was sent off, Sol Bamba netted his first goal for the club, and Leeds secured their first win over Fulham since 2003.

Writers' View Ahead Of The Game

It has been a dismal start to our campaign. The debacle at Loftus Road was a shambles all around, but the most frustrating thing about the Birmingham defeat a few days ago was the sheer lack of urgency and fight that brought about that dreadful second-half, after such a bright display in the first forty-five.

A seemingly incurable ailment of ours is our knack for finding ridiculously clumsy centre-backs. Kyle Bartley hasn't even won a single tackle in a Leeds shirt yet, and Sol Bamba's erratic passing and positioning on Saturday did little to endear himself to the Elland Road crowd. It is abundantly clear that our major problems have been defensive ones - we've conceded five goals in just two Championship games and our opponents have been QPR and Birmingham, teams we'd have hoped to have beaten.

With regards to the midfield, I think a lot of us (myself included) got slightly carried away about Ronaldo Vieira after his impressive display against Atalanta. Since kick-off at Loftus Road, he's looked completely out of his depth and the need for a Lewis Cook replacement is evident. There is a gaping void that is still waiting to be filled with a quality replacement, and if this is not addressed then we cannot expect to finish up anywhere near the play-offs. I'd hoped for Liam Bridcutt to have rejoined the club by now, but that has still failed to come to fruition. Until it does, we will continue to be trumped in the middle of the park by opposition midfields with more experience.

Going forward, Marcus Antonsson has been lively and buzzed around a bit on Saturday, but the supply of ammunition to the front lines was largely cut off due to Garry Monk's insistence that Pablo Hernandez play in an unfamiliar deeper role. I'd like to see us return to the 4-2-3-1. I feel as though it is the best formation at this moment in time for us to use. It provides midfield solidity, more protection for a weak back four, and it also allows Pablo Hernandez to play in his favoured attacking midfielder role. I'd start with Marcus Antonsson up front over Chris Wood, as the Swede is constantly on the move and looking to get involved, whereas Wood is far more static and as a result it is far more easier for the opposing defence to mark the New Zealander into silence.

Fulham have had a great start to the season despite losing two of their brightest players in Dembele and McCormack, whereas we have looked woefully unprepared. My heart says that we will record our first victory of this new Championship season at the third time of asking tomorrow night, but common sense tells me that our defensive ineptitude along with Fulham's in-form attack will mean that the wait will go on a little while longer.

Photo: Action Images

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