Paul Robinson has made a bold claim about Leeds United’s season so far, insisting that the Whites’ top three performers this season have been Kalvin Phillips, Ben White and Jack Harrison.

Leeds have been in great form this season and Marcelo Bielsa’s system has managed to yield much better performances from a lot of players that were very-much below-par before the summer of 2018.

Leeds' 13th-placed finish under Paul Heckingbottom raised serious questions about which players had serious long-term futures at the club and who would need to be brought in to mount a sustained promotion charge, with Bielsa now at the helm to boost the recruitment process immensely.

The raised performances of players that were already at the club along with some very strong signings have lifted Leeds to the point where just nine games stand in their way as they hunt for Premier League football.

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Paul Robinson has singled out three players as his stars so far in 2019/20. He stated: “I think the best three players for Leeds this season have been Ben White, Kalvin Phillips and Jack Harrison.

“At 22, White has developed into a top-class player but I’d be amazed if Leeds were able to hold onto him in the summer.

“Those three have been outstanding. Harrison’s end product is almost there – the goals just need to be a bit wider for him.

“He’s hit so much metal this season you feel for him. But he’s been outstanding for Leeds this season.

“Kalvin Phillips has missed a big part of the season so I think it needs to be one of the other two. So far, I’d give it to Ben White, Kalvin Phillips and Jack Harrison in that order.”

With Robinson claiming that his top three players are White, Phillips and Harrison, we take a look at three reasons why his claim is spot on so far…

White is arguably the league’s best defender

Coming in from Brighton on a season-long loan, there was a lot of doubt cast over whether Ben White would be capable of making the step up to Championship football to replace Pontus Jansson, having never played as high as the second tier.

From the first minute of the Bristol City clash away from home, there was no doubting that White had what it took to be an ever-present in the league’s promotion favourites.

Calmness on the ball coupled with an almost arrogance in one-on-one defending, White has been an absolute revelation at the heart of the defence for Leeds, and is a major reason for why Leeds boast the best defensive record whilst sitting on five straight clean sheets.

It would be extremely unlikely to see Leeds keep hold of him beyond this season after being so impressive but his efforts have made many at Elland Road wonder what he had been doing before this season.

While he is yet to score a goal for the Whites, the 22-year-old has shown great defensive talent whilst also demonstrating his abilities in possession, often driving out of defence or spraying passes across the pitch to develop attacks.

Phillips is indispensable

While White has been incredible in central defence, just in front of him has been the man making his job all the easier each week in Kalvin Phillips.

The academy graduate has been immense in holding midfield ever since Bielsa’s arrival when many cast him out as one of the players that needed to be shipped out of the club after a handful of underwhelming seasons.

There’s no surprise that Gareth Southgate has been casting an eye over Phillips for a potential England call-up, with the Bristol clash at home last month a prime example of the talent he possesses beyond being a second-tier midfielder, with the England chief in attendance.

A three-match suspension for Phillips further outlined his importance to Bielsa’s system, as performances went massively downhill without him, to which they were immediately boosted away to Brentford when he returned. 

Leeds controlled that game for the vast majority and have since done the same to every other team, without tasting defeat since his ban was completed.

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Harrison’s attacking output

Harrison’s first season under Bielsa was very mixed as he ended up with a disappointing tally of just four goals and three assists, which he has already surpassed and looks like blowing it out of the water.

A hectic pre-season for the Manchester City winger saw him travel to New York to link up with former trainers and teammates from NYCFC, and he returned to Elland Road for a second bite at the cherry and he looks a level above.

An ever-present, along with White, Harrison has been vital to Bielsa’s plans this season and his very fluid tactical system has often seen Harrison running the left side of the pitch all on his own.

Five goals and seven assists could have been more in the past two games as he struck the woodwork on two occasions with stunning efforts while he teed up Pablo Hernandez against Hull City who could only do the same.

An £8million option to buy looks like a steal for Leeds as they have one of the most on-form and potent wingers in the Championship at the moment.