Leeds United: Troy Deeney says Daniel James could be axed by Daniel Farke
Troy Deeney has suggested on talkSPORT that Leeds United boss Daniel Farke could drop Daniel James to the bench if the winger allows his penalty miss for Wales to affect his club form.
Wales’ crucial Euro 2024 qualifier against Poland finished goalless after 120 minutes and a penalty shootout was required to separate the teams.
Each of the previous nine takers netted their efforts, but James’ deciding kick was saved by Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, ending Wales’ hopes of qualifying for the tournament.
Leeds are top of the Championship – though second-placed Leicester City have a game in hand – and Deeney feels Farke will be ruthless with his selection, saying on 27 March: “I think the boys at Leeds are on a great push and will know, especially someone like Dan James, if he’s not playing well, the quality of player in their team, he’ll fall back onto the bench.
“He’ll just want to get back to football as quickly as possible.”
Leeds lads look to switch back into promotion push mode
With automatic promotion back to the Premier League in their hands, the Leeds squad will be keen to ensure their focus remains as sharp as it was before the international break, when they racked up a 13-game unbeaten run in the Championship, winning 12 times in that spell.
The Whites face Deeney’s former club Watford next – but the striker admits that many players possess the ability to flick a switch upon returning from national team duty and concentrate on the task at hand, saying on talkSPORT: “It is a completely different thing, when you go with the national team and I have been there when the boys come back, they have this kind of, ‘wow, that was good, now let’s get back to it.’
“I saw a post from Virgil van Dijk last night that said, ‘Great to be with the national team, but let’s focus on Liverpool.’
“It is two different switches completely and especially some of them will have been friendlies, [though] obviously Wales wasn’t.”
James has made an important contribution to Leeds’ promotion push this term, netting 12 times and registering six assists in 34 Championship appearances.
However, the Welsh winger has largely been restricted to the role of an impact substitute lately, starting just one of the last seven games despite featuring regularly from the first whistle for the majority of the campaign.
Farke must contend with a lengthy injury list for the trip to Watford, though, including fellow forwards Willy Gnonto and Georginio Rutter – which could count in James’ favour as he pushes for a return to the starting line-up.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites’ mooted £25million move for a Celtic midfielder has been hailed as a potentially “fantastic signing”.
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