Pundit slams Raphinha over lack of effort at Leeds United after he’s axed by Marcelo Bielsa
We’re delighted to welcome former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as our exclusive columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Leeds United...
Paul Robinson has backed Marcelo Bielsa’s decision to axe Raphinha to the bench for the 4-2 defeat to Manchester United at Elland Road on Sunday.
Raphinha, 25, came on at half-time after he was left out of Bielsa’s starting line-up and named on the bench for the first time in a Premier League game since November 2020.
After he came on, the Brazil international scored Leeds’ second to make the score 2-2 before Man United eventually regained their lead and won the game.
Raphinha’s omission from Bielsa’s starting line-up shocked a lot of fans and pundits but Robinson feels that the decision was justified as the Brazilian winger hasn’t been applying himself fully in recent performances.
Speaking to MOT Leeds News, the pundit said: “Two or three months ago, it would’ve been unthinkable to drop Raphinha when he’s linked with Bayern Munich, Liverpool and top Champions League clubs.
“And if you look at his stats before the Man United game, he was first for shots, first for assists, first for goals – everything for Leeds.
“Realistically, Bielsa is dropping his best player.
“The first half didn’t go according to plan for Leeds and you can argue he changed the game slightly in the second half but you don’t undermine the manager.
“It just shows that the minimum requirement with Bielsa is maximum effort and he wasn’t getting that from Raphinha.
“Over the last few weeks, his performances weren’t anywhere near and regardless of who you are and what country you play for, you don’t play for them if you don’t do what Bielsa asks, which is why the manager has gained so much respect.
“You’ve got to respect him for that decision.
“What Bielsa has done at Leeds over the last three or four seasons, who’s to question him when he makes decisions like that? He sees him day to day and knows what’s going on.
“We’ve spoken so many times before this season about Raphinha and the need to remember what got him to the position he’s in, where people are talking about him as one of the best players in the league, that was his work rate, effort and application.
“That hasn’t been there.”
The Daily Star reported on 21 January that Leeds are in talks with Raphinha over a new contract with his existing deal worth £55,000a-week at Elland Road.
It is understood that amid interest from big clubs, the Whites want to get the ex-Rennes winger to be one of their highest earners on £100,000-a-week.
In other Leeds United news, a double-page spread in a newspaper says that it’s the beginning of the end for this Elland Road man.