Graham Smyth shares ‘nightmare’ Georginio Rutter verdict ahead of Leeds United v Southampton
Graham Smyth believes Georginio Rutter “holds the key” for Leeds United as they prepare to face Southampton in the Championship play-off final.
The two sides are set to go head-to-head at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 26 May with promotion to the Premier League standing on a knife’s edge, and Rutter could be key.
The 22-year-old has been a sensation at Elland Road this season, notching six goals and 15 assists in the league, though he has just one goal contribution in his last 10 appearances.
Speaking via the Inside Elland Road podcast on Friday (25 May), Smyth said: “I think Rutter holds the key for Leeds, I really do.
“When he’s on, they’re an incredibly difficult team to play against, so much more dangerous in transition, and so much more likely to create in the final third. If I were Leeds, I would be trying to get him one-on-one with someone in the first few minutes to let him have a go at beating someone.
“If he does, you can see it being like the Norwich game. All he needed was that flick for Summerville, and then his next one-on-one duel and he skinned someone, that was it.
“I don’t want to say he was back but he was on the up again. He had his pecker up. He was a bit of a nightmare for Norwich. You would like to think he could be that nightmare against Southampton.”
Can Georginio Rutter fire Leeds United to the Premier League?
Having missed out narrowly on automatic promotion this season, it would be incredibly harsh if Leeds were to lose the play-off final to Southampton.
Of course, fans are already very wary of the Wembley clash, having suffered plenty of heartache over the years, though this year feels very different as Daniel Farke leads the way.
The manager will hope that Rutter has rediscovered his shooting boots just at the right time, scoring in the 4-0 win over Norwich in the semi-final second leg, netting for the first time since February.
This seems vital ahead of the final, especially after it was confirmed that Patrick Bamford would be missing for the clash on Sunday.
The likes of Crysencio Summerville, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Illan Meslier, Wilfried Gnonto, and the rest of the squad will all be expected to be playing at their very best, but Rutter could make the difference.
Leeds will also have to achieve a feat they have yet to do this season – beat the Saints. This would be the best time to change that.
In other Leeds news, Archie Gray’s future has been cleared up ahead of next season.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.