Georginio Rutter spotted ‘done in’ after Sheffield Wednesday draw amid ‘cruel’ Leeds United verdict – BBC journalists
Georginio Rutter’s current predicament at Leeds United is “almost cruel” after he cut a “really tragic figure” after the draw with Sheffield Wednesday, according to Adam Pope.
The BBC journalist reacted on Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet (4 September) after colleague Jonny Buchan had spotted the club-record signing looking “absolutely done in” at the final whistle of the goalless draw on Saturday.
The Frenchman missed a good late chance as the Whites failed to find a way through against a struggling Owls side, and was left looking “absolutely disconsolate” afterwards, despite scoring his first goal for the club in the win at Ipswich last week (26 August).
Buchan said (14m 25s): “He looked absolutely disconsolate at the full-time whistle did Georginio Rutter. He stood, kind of on his own, I don’t want that to sound more dramatic than it was, but he stood with his hands on his hips looking down.
“A couple of his teammates, Ethan Ampadu probably being the main one, came over to put an arm round him, pat him on the back of the head and say ‘come on’, took him toward the Kop End to slowly walk around and give a small round of applause towards those that were still left in the ground.
“He did look Popey absolutely done in at full-time sadly.”
Pope added: “Yeah… [Willy] Gnonto had gone straight down the tunnel pretty much on full-time, and all eyes were on Rutter. He just cut a really tragic figure to be quite honest… It’s almost cruel at the moment isn’t it?”
Growing pains
It’s not Rutter’s fault that he has become emblematic of the mismanagement under Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani that saw the final season in the Premier League end in relegation.
Arriving for a club-record fee isn’t easy in its own right, as the star of last term Rodrigo had previously found, so for a youngster to come in at a time of major need for the club and and not be what the team was crying out for will have only piled more pressure on him.
Equally, players with far greater fees and reputations than him have struggled to get going in front of goal before, although his first strike in the Ipswich win was strong sign of what could be.
It was also only a very sharp Devis Vasquez save in the first half that kept Rutter from being the match-winner, but inevitably the focus will instead be on his far weaker attempt when played through late in the second 45.
Daniel Farke’s decision to use Joel Piroe as a number 10 didn’t pay off at all either, and it seems likely that the key to success for both players may be playing the Dutchman furthest forward and the youngster just off him.
Rutter will come under pressure for his place from Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph in time, but the manager has shown faith in him through the summer and there have been positive signs so far this season.
One or two more goals could change things very quickly and there is every chance he can still be a key part of the team this season.
In other Leeds United news, one Whites favourite was blown away by an unlikely “amazing” performer in the clash at the weekend.