Sky Sports pundit reacts as automatic promotion pick Leeds United face £1.5m Sam Greenwood transfer to Middlesbrough
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 refused to criticise Leeds United for letting Sam Greenwood leave cheaply because he believes the club are in line for automatic promotion under Daniel Farke anyway.
The young forward is on a season-long loan at Middlesbrough where he is having an “excellent” season, with four goals and an assist in his last seven Championship outings, and The Athletic’s Phil Hay [Square Ball, 13 November] has suggested his £1.5million permanent option is now increasingly likely to be triggered.
Former Whites keeper Robinson admits the deal is “heavily-favoured” towards Michael Carrick’s side but with Leeds United doing so well he believes it is difficult to complain over a player who wasn’t likely to play at Elland Road this year.
The Sky Sports pundit exclusively told MOT Leeds News: “He’s had an excellent season and if you look how the deal’s structured it’s heavily favoured in Middlesbrough’s direction. He’s gone and done extremely well. He’s a player that Leeds, or the manager, obviously didn’t see in the way he wanted to play, didn’t see the way that his squad fitted, and a player who he was willing to let go.
“How the deal is done, how it’s structured, is not down to the manager. It’s difficult to level any kind of criticism at the manager because they’re doing so well. They’re a fantastically strong squad in a very tough league.
“I still think that Ipswich’s bubble will burst at some point and Leeds will go up automatically with Leicester. You look at the quality of players that they’ve got and the decisions that have been made at the football club have proven to be right. They’re sat third in the table chasing down Ipswich and Leicester.
“It was the performance of the season at Leicester. I don’t think there’s any type of criticism that you can level at the club at the moment because of the way things have been run on and off the field, and decisions that have been made, there’s no call to question them because they’re going right at the moment.”
Robinson is right that Leeds United have largely got the important squad decisions right and are well-placed to push for promotion back to the Premier League.
Even so, given his age, experience, and potential to still improve such a low fee to allow a talented player leave seems like an oversight.
Should the form of the Whites attackers drop it might start to look like more of a mistake but if the club go up, Greenwood plays regularly, and Middlesbrough get a bargain it might ultimately work out well for all parties.
In other Leeds United news, a recent decision to penalise Patrick Bamford has been hailed as “fantastic” by a former Premier League official.