Phil Hay makes Georginio Rutter admission after Leeds United v Fulham FA Cup clash
Phil Hay praised Georginio Rutter’s header for Leeds United v Fulham that nearly found its way into the back of the net on Tuesday, 28 February.
Leeds ended up losing the game 2-0, but they did have chances to score and make this a closer contest than it seemed.
In his Athletic piece from 1 March, Hay rued the missed chances for the Whites as Javi Gracia suffered his first defeat in charge of the club.
He wrote, “Georginio Rutter’s early tap-in fell foul of a very soft push from Weston McKennie in Harry Wilson’s back. Wilson’s double tuck made sure of that decision. A beautiful hanging header from Rutter took longer to drop than a Stone Roses album and came back off a post.
“By the time McKennie’s shot was blocked by Patrick Bamford in the closing minutes, the rebound flying wide off the American’s shin from a distance of a few yards, it was evident that Leeds’ luck was out and, evidently, it was not their night.
Blessing in disguise?
While Leeds fans would’ve loved a cup run, they will love their Premier League status even more and this result can now put all the focus on the league.
Gracia’s main goal is to keep the team up in the top flight and not go on a cup run as he did at Watford when he guided them to a cup final.
There were a few changes and that could be interpreted as resting players or trying out a few new things, and whatever it was, it did not have the desired impact.
However, in a way, it could be good for Leeds as they will now not have the expectations of going as far as possible, thus playing their strongest available side.
Playing one game a week in the league will give the players enough time to rest and also will reduce the chances of them picking up injuries.
It’s important for them to remain focused as they need to maintain consistency in the league or they could see it all slipping away very soon.
In other Leeds United news, the club may now face a losing battle to keep their star player at Elland Road beyond the summer transfer window.
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