49ers spot on to turn down Summerville bids – Three things learned from Leeds United v Norwich
Leeds United came back from two goals behind in a thrilling 3-2 Championship victory against Norwich at Carrow Road on 21 October, with Crysencio Summerville at the heart of it all.
The home side took an early lead through a Shane Duffy header in the fourth minute and doubled their lead in the 43rd minute, giving Daniel Farke’s side a mountain to climb in the second half.
But climb that mountain they did, with a Duffy own goal in the 63rd minute kickstarting the comeback, before Summerville grabbed the game by the horns, scoring two goals to complete a thrilling comeback.
Here are three things we learned from Leeds’ 3-2 victory at Carrow Road…
49ers must be praised
With a performance like that from Summerville, 49ers Enterprises should be praised for ensuring the winger remained at the club despite big-money bids during the summer transfer window.
Burnley made a £20million bid for the winger [Fabrizio Romano, 31 August], which was immediately rejected by the owners, who saw Summerville as a key part of their promotion plans. With a performance like that one, they were spot on.
The likes of Burnley, Aston Villa [Calciomercato, 21 July], Crystal Palace and Everton [Yorkshire Post, 27 July] were linked to Summerville in the summer transfer window, and any of those sides could come sniffing again in the January transfer window, so the 49ers will need to be steadfast in their previous stance.
Archie Gray needs a rest
Farke probably should have rested Gray for this one given his comments during the international break [The Athletic, 19 October] where he claimed the trips with England’s Under-19s side could lead to him being burned out.
It turns out the boss was right. Gray looked knackered from the off at Carrow Road and struggled to keep up with the pace of the game. Nevertheless, he played 90 minutes outside of his natural position, but will likely now need a rest for at least their next game.
Farke’s choice seems a strange one given his comments and keenness to avoid overworking the 17-year-old, but he will surely now have learned from his performance.
Meslier struggles return
Meslier struggled from set-pieces from the start against Norwich, in a throwback to his highly-volatile Premier League displays. The Frenchman was weak in the air and the home side looked to exploit that weakness at every opportunity.
He conceded after just four minutes to a Shane Duffy header, and the hosts later had another goal ruled out for a foul by Onel Hernandez as he was in front of Meslier as the ball went in.
The hosts will be hoping that the keeper isn’t returning to his form of old, as he has recovered from a dismal end to their Premier League stay and put in a number of impressive performances this season.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has shared new backroom staff updates.