Joe Rodon hailed for aggressive reaction to Leeds United teammate Archie Gray in Leicester City win – BBC journalist
Joe Rodon reacting to his Leeds United teammate recovering from a late knock against Leicester City by “booting him to the floor” has been hailed by Jonny Buchan.
The BBC Leeds journalist said on Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet on 6 November that it was a “brilliant moment” at the King Power when the on-loan Tottenham defender forced Archie Gray to go to ground in order to bleed the clock in the 1-0 victory.
Rodon was outstanding in the centre of defence as part of a statement victory away to the runaway league-leaders on Friday night (3 November).
Buchan said (9m): “Archie was sort of leaning over trying to stretch out and Rodon realised, ‘If he goes down we can stop the game and kill it a little bit more here’.
“And went over and booted him to the floor, which was a brilliant moment.”
Crafty
Knowing that some valuable seconds could be ticked off by getting his teenage teammate to go to ground is the sort of veteran knowhow that fans love when it works in their favour and infuriates when it goes against them.
In this instance it was just one of many things on the night that Leeds United supporters would have been delighted to see, in a strong all-round performance that disrupted the Foxes and took a huge three points.
Gray, playing once again in the unfamiliar right-back roll, was arguably under the most pressure he has been yet as a Whites senior but didn’t wilt under it.
Rodon’s role in the centre of Daniel Farke’s defence has gone somewhat unheralded with so many of his teammates catching the eye this season.
But the gap that he leaves when he is not there shows how key he has become, and puts him in contention with Ethan Ampadu as the best signing of the summer at Elland Road.
The leadership and stability that he provides has kept captain Liam Cooper out of the line up and brought some vital steel to a back line that was all too often fragile in the past two seasons.
In other Leeds United news, 17-year-old fan-favourite Gray now faces a spell on the sidelines amid developments among his teammates.