Leeds United go into this weekend’s set of Championship fixtures raring to go again, as Elland Road sets the stage for a showdown between Daniel Farke’s Whites and Mark Robins’ up-and-down Coventry City side.
The Sky Blues have won only once this season, and so the West Yorkshire outfit will go into the game wanting to prove to fans that they mean business, against a team that did manage to draw with Leeds last season away from home.
Largie Ramazani will hope he’s given the nod to start against Coventry this coming Saturday, after impressing with his first goal in Leeds colours in the 2-0 win over Cardiff City last time out, with other attackers such as Mateo Joseph also lively in spurts.
Ramazani & Joseph's importance to Leeds
Ramazani might well retain his space, dependent on Manor Solomon’s fitness, after announcing himself to the Leeds faithful in Wales.
His breakaway strike in the first half versus the now managerless Bluebirds broke the deadlock and allowed the away side to feel less nervy in the game, as the ex-Almeria man powered home an effort confidently after finding himself one-on-one with opposition goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.
He will hope this is just the start for him donning a Whites strip, with Farke and Co hopeful he can be another tricky winger for the promotion chasers akin to the likes of Crysencio Summerville.
There will also be plenty more expected of the aforementioned Joseph this season, who found himself in and out of the 2-0 win for the most part but still managed to assist Ramazani’s crucial opener.
Games played
6
Goals scored
1
Assists
3
Shots per game
2.7
Big chances missed
2
Big chances created
4
Only managing 32 touches of the ball in total away from that important contribution, it is to be expected that Joseph – who is only still 20 years of age – isn’t the finished article just yet, but the table above suggests that he won’t be dropped for the test of Coventry on Saturday, owing to his promising numbers across the full campaign so far.
Amazingly, despite both players playing their part in Leeds’ last win on the road, their wages are still lower than one player who should be given the boot from Elland Road.
Why Leeds need to get rid of Darlow
Leeds fans must have thought the purchase of Karl Darlow last year was going to see Ilian Meslier be pushed all the way for a starting spot between the sticks, with the former Newcastle man having amassed 154 Championship games across his career, on top of featuring in 52 Premier League clashes.
Yet, the £400k move organised by Farke and the 49ers just hasn’t worked out whatsoever with the forgotten-about shot-stopper simply a bench warmer for the manager now, with his only display this season against Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup also very poor.
The nervy ‘keeper on the night would leak three goals as Leeds were comprehensively beaten by Michael Carrick’s men, with his hefty £30k-per-week wage now rightly under the microscope.
Alongside his £400k fee, Leeds have wasted £2m already on Darlow when taking into account his wage costs for all of last season too – as the fringes ‘keeper has also only made five appearances in total for the Whites, keeping zero clean sheets in the process.
In contrast, both Ramazani and Joseph take home a lesser £17.5k-per-week and £15k-per-week respectively, despite linking up in Wales to help their side go back to Elland Road with three points in hand.
It’s not just Darlow’s wage that will make for grim reading, with Patrick Bamford also raking in an outrageous £70k-per-week salary, even as Joseph gets more first team minutes now over the ageing attacker.
Leeds could look to move on the ex-Magpies man soon, therefore, with Meslier very much secure in his first-team spot away from Darlow’s woes.
£12m wasted: Farke must sell Leeds man who earns more than Gnonto
The Whites loanee must be ditched from the squad in one of the next two transfer windows.
1 ByDan EmerySep 25, 2024