Victor Orta may have job saved by Daniel James who he pushed through exit at Leeds United
Leeds United loanee Dan James may well have handed the club a lifeline in their pursuit of Premier League safety and he may have also saved Victor Orta’s job.
James, 25, joined Fulham on a season-long loan deal on 1 September and has since played 16 times in the Premier League for the London club since his departure.
The former Manchester United forward has struggled all throughout the campaign, only being resigned to substitute appearances and bit-part roles in the domestic cups after being forced out by the Leeds United board last summer.
However, in such a tight and tense relegation battle with the Whites sitting just two points from the bottom three, James may well have handed his parent club a lifeline, after scoring his first Premier League goal since November against Leeds’ relegation rivals Everton on Saturday [15 April].
The 25-year-old made no mistake from close range after some dreadful defending, scoring Fulham’s third goal against the Toffees in their disappointing 3-1 loss against their former boss Marco Silva.
After being forced out of the club on loan after the arrivals of Willy Gnonto and Brenden Aaronson, which added to the attacking options of Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo, Crysencio Summerville, Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra, the player still on the club’s books too, could have well have saved their season.
Leeds United face a pivotal battle against Liverpool on Monday [17 April] and will be certainly boosted by the result at Goodison Park.
Also, one man who may well have been fearing for his own position is Orta who has come unstuck from so many controversies at Elland Road in recent months, with many of the Leeds United faithful calling for his head.
However, if there is one decision that fans will have been delighted by from the Spanish director of football was the loan sale of James who now looks to have handed Leeds United the tools they need to topple their relegation rivals after his strike against Everton.
Orta can look at this decision with some pride. The player he likely pushed out last summer may well have kept him in the Elland Road recruitment hot seat.
In other Leeds United news, Ian Wright cannot believe his eyes after footage surfaces of a Leeds player on social media.