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Daniel Farke dealt blow as Willy Gnonto to push for January exit - Three things learned in Leeds United win v Plymouth
Leeds United secured a narrow home victory over Plymouth Argyle in the Championship on Saturday (11 November).
First-half goals from Dan James and Joel Piroe proved to be enough for the Whites after Ben Waine’s late strike had made it a nervy final few minutes in the 2-1 win at Elland Road.
Daniel Farke will largely have been pleased by the performance as the three points keep his side in the race for automatic promotion, but some issues may now have emerged after the game.
Farke dealt blow
The Leeds manager may have been dealt a significant blow in the second half when Sam Byram was forced off through injury on 53 minutes.
The versatile defender was seen heading down the tunnel after suffering what appeared to be an issue with his right foot.
The 30-year-old was replaced at left-back by Junior Firpo, who was making his first appearance of the season after returning to action following an injury that’s kept him out since the end of the last campaign.
While Farke will have been pleased to see the 27-year-old Dominican back out on the pitch, he will no doubt be concerned by Byram’s situation.
Dan James is the man
In what would have been an unexpected turn of events, James is proving that he is the man for Leeds on the right wing on the back of yet another excellent performance.
The Welsh international was handed a rating of 8 by SofaScore – the best of any of the Whites players – after opening the scoring for his side after 21 minutes.
The 26-year-old winger now has four goals and four assists in 14 appearances this season as he continues to show Farke why he deserves to be starting at Elland Road.
Willy Gnonto to push for January exit
The form of James is certainly not good news for Willy Gnonto as he continues to warm the Leeds bench after struggling to get back into the starting lineup following his return from injury.
The Italian international replaced the Welshman with just 12 minutes left to play in the contest and he didn’t do much to send a message to Farke on why he should be more involved.
The 19-year-old winger recorded just a 71 per cent pass success rate as he gave away the ball on three occasions for the Whites.
After previously trying to push for a move away from West Yorkshire over the summer, it feels inevitable that he will be looking to secure a transfer in January if his opportunities in the side don’t improve over the next few weeks.
In other Leeds United news, a journalist has shared a “big” Whites admission after a recent change in situation at Elland Road.