Junior Firpo new ‘massive, massive worry’ in Leeds United side after Rotherham United draw – Adam Pope
Junior Firpo is now a “massive, massive worry” at left-back for Leeds United after the 1-1 draw with Rotherham in his first start of the season, according to Adam Pope.
The BBC journalist said on Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet on 27 November that while there was plenty of blame to go around for the home side’s equaliser at the New York Stadium it was the former Barcelona man who was the biggest cause for concern.
Daniel Farke chose the 27-year-old ahead of Sam Byram due to an injury concern on the latter, in a changed back-line next to captain Liam Cooper who was himself in the side over Pascal Struijk after hernia surgery, and while Pope was filled with praise for the two centre-backs, as well as Joe Rodon and Archie Gray he is now feeling very uneasy over the picture on the left.
Pope said (12m): “I thought Cooper sets the tone with the first header of the game… I thought him and Rodon were great that way and he did everything he needed to do, Liam Cooper.
“He got a bit of cramp, probably still going to be okay, although Struijk came on which is amazing, it’s crazy isn’t it, outrageous.
“So they’ve done that, Rodon’s done his bit, Archie Gray did some phenomenal stuff in the game as well. And I know we can all point fingers for the goal but the one big area was left-back.
“So that’s a massive, massive worry for me that now, and I never thought it would be as much of a worry but that’s huge, in the sense that Byram had kind of sorted it out.
“I was in denial two years ago thinking they don’t need to sign anyone. If Byram’s fit that’s great, that’s fine, but wow.”
Nothing new
Firpo is an easy target because he has clearly been a disappointment in his Leeds United career since arriving from the Camp Nou three summers ago.
But it is perhaps harsh to pin the dropped points on him when he was making only his second appearance of the whole campaign after a long injury lay-off and he has been tipped to do well at this level compared after being “found out” the Premier League.
And it is also not a surprise when his struggles over the past couple of years showed the Whites have needed an answer at left-back for some time and regularly neglected to find one.
Max Wober was briefly used there but was primarily a centre-back, and even Byram’s emergence as the regular starter was a surprise of sorts given he was nominally a right-sided player when he returned for free in the summer.
The former Norwich City man has been a high-value addition but was always a risk if he was expected to be available for every game given his fitness record ever since he left Elland Road the first time.
His 16 appearances so far is already more than many expected but even if he misses one or two here and therewould mean Firpo is the next man up unless Farke wants to rely on Jamie Shackleton.
The back line as a whole has been very impressive, and from unexpected sources in part, but even with Byram fit it is the left side that is the biggest question mark so a new arrival in January probably can’t be ruled out.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay reports that a player has “no intention” of signing a new Whites contract if it arrives in the coming months.