Chris Sutton baffled by ‘really strange’ Sam Allardyce decision about Leeds United player in defeat v Spurs
Chris Sutton has admitted it was “baffling” that Sam Allardyce didn’t substitute Willy Gnonto onto the pitch earlier for Leeds United against Spurs at Elland Road.
The Whites’ disappointing campaign ended at a whimper as they fell to a 4-1 defeat on Sunday (28 May), confirming their relegation to the Championship alongside Leicester City and Southampton.
Although Leeds managed to pull the score back to 2-1 on the 67-minute mark, Allardyce waited until the 87th minute to bring Italian international Gnonto from the bench, by which point it was too little too late.
Reacting to the decision live on BT Sportscore [28 May, 18:18], Sutton said: “Harrison is now going off for Gnonto.
“I’m baffled how Big Sam didn’t bring Gnonto on before.
“It’s really, really strange. They needed to win the game but it’s too little, too late.”
Baffling
Why Gnonto has been used so sparingly all season long has been a mystery to large portions of the Leeds fanbase.
Under Javi Gracia, the Spaniard’s reluctance to include the young winger in proceedings was one of the major reasons that supporters turned against him, and Allardyce, for some reason, took on the same approach.
All season long, the 19-year-old has been Leeds’ one major attacking livewire, causing a number of defences heaps of problems with his pace, strength and trickery.
In a must-win match, at a stage in the game where just one goal separated the two sides, why on earth didn’t Big Sam go for broke and throw the attacker onto the pitch?
The afternoon ended in a drubbing anyway, but the lack of attacking ambition during the match would have been a major disappointment to the Elland Road faithful.
Although he has delivered a number of miraculous escapology acts across his managerial career, Leeds United was one step too far for the Englishman.
In other Leeds United news, David Prutton offered his assessment on the “ultimate slap in the face” to the club’s fans.