Out-of-form Leeds United star's blunt 27-word message amid 'difficult period' and Bournemouth defeat

Leeds United midfielder Anton Stach insists he’ll ‘keep pushing’ to improve amid a difficult spell of fitness and form.

Stach was a second-half substitute on Saturday as Leeds fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth. Goals in either half from Evanilson and Amine Adli sent the Whites back north with nothing to show for what was a decent start at the Vitality Stadium.

Leeds had a Dominic Calvert-Lewin goal disallowed inside 11 minutes and were on top until a nightmare moment on Halloween from James Trafford. The goalkeeper’s pass out to Ao Tanaka was easily intercepted by Justin Kluivert, who had the simple task of squaring to Evanilson for a tap-in.

Stach was one of five attacking substitutions made by Daniel Farke but struggled to impact the game in his 25-minute cameo. The German hasn’t registered a goal or assist since his opening-weekend free-kick winner at Nottingham Forest.

In a post on his Instagram story after Saturday's defeat, Stach wrote: “Difficult periods test you in ways people will never see. But I know what I’m working for, and I’ll keep pushing until I’m back where I belong.”

Stach has been battling a foot issue in recent weeks, starting Leeds’ last two games on the substitute’s bench. The German was a doubt for trips to Sunderland and Bournemouth with minutes in both coming midway through the second-half.

His lack of form has coincided with all-round attacking issues for Leeds, who failed to score for a third time in five games on Saturday. The Whites didn’t even manage to register a shot on target after going 1-0 down despite the influx of attackers.

"The second half of course we could have been a bit more brutal with our strikes and precise to perhaps force an equaliser,” Farke said of the performance on Saturday. "But it was also difficult and in the end after some strange decision-making I would say in added time we conceded also a counter attack so it wasn't decisive anymore.

"I think it was crucial that normally at half time we had good chances to be even out of sight with our football. We could have forced it a bit more in the second half, this is the only thing I could perhaps criticise a bit.

"But apart from this, not moaning at all about performance, commitment, I think, overall it was actually a really good away game. Although if you just read the result it says something different."