Daniel Farke could drag Willy Gnonto off at HT after 0% Leeds United performance v Rotherham
Daniel Farke has to drag Wilfried Gnonto off at half-time of Leeds United against Rotherham at Elland Road after a sloppy first-half display saw him give the ball away almost as often as he completed passes.
The winger kept his starting place in the XI after having scored two goals in his last two games against Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle, but after a disappointing performance, he should be dragged off already.
A passing accuracy of just 73 per cent in the first half saw him lose the ball almost as many times as he completed passes, with 16 completed and 11 given away, and if he remains on past half-time he could cost Leeds the game. [Sofascore]
Such sloppiness and inconsistency in the final third saw several chances wasted as Leeds had opportunities to widen their lead, with his poor passing when presented with those chances failing to contribute to the attacking performance.
Gnonto must step up for Leeds United
Gnonto has spent most of this season on the bench at Elland Road, often tasked with changing the game as a substitute. His last two goalscoring performances from the start have earned him his place, but the gaffer may have been right with his previous decisions.
In the first half against Rotherham, the Italian recorded just 16 passes with a 73 per cent accuracy but failed to complete a single dribble from two attempts, as well as no successful long ball or cross attempt at a 0 per cent success rate on all three metrics.
He also didn’t get a single shot off despite his more attacking role in the team, but his defensive stats were equally as unimpressive. Only two ground duels were won from seven attempts, and being dribbled past once compounded a disappointing first-half display. [Sofascore]
That, combined with his sloppiness on the ball, saw him struggle to make any positive impact on the game going forward, and with the likes of Jaidon Anthony and Joel Piroe waiting in the wings, Farke may be tempted to throw one of them in to further Leeds’ lead.
It is widely expected that the winger will sign a new contract at Elland Road in the coming weeks, such is the potential he has, but he will need to step up his performance to prove he is worth the outlay.
In other Leeds United news, an EFL chairman named Leeds in a rant against the Premier League.
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