Willy Gnonto exit situation verdict issued at Leeds United after Luis Sinisterra forced move to Bournemouth – Phil Hay
Daniel Farke has a “group of players who want to be here” at Leeds United at last as the Willy Gnonto situation looks to have “calmed down”, according to Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist issued his verdict on the squad following the close of the transfer window on The Square Ball (4 September), stating his belief that the Whites boss doesn’t look to still be dealing with the Italian international “agitating” to leave as he had last month, because his situation appears “sorted” in a way Luis Sinisterra’s hadn’t been.
Both the attacking stars missed multiple games and trained alone in August amid attempts to leave, but Leeds saw off another late push from Everton to sign Gnonto on deadline day (1 September) while the Colombian was able to force through a loan to Bournemouth after the deadline, with Jaidon Anthony coming the other way.
Hay said (16m 45s): “[Farke] now just has open space in which it is just training and games. Ok, there’s Gnonto there in the camp who was agitating to go at various points through August.
“But that feels as if it’s calmed down and feels as if it’s been settled in a way that Sinisterra clearly hadn’t been sorted out and hadn’t been resolved.
“So you would like to think that Farke would have a dressing room now where the attitude and the feeling in it is fairly united, together and positive.
“And that you essentially have a group of players who do want to be here, and it will be the first time in a while that’s been true.”
He later added on Sinisterra’s exit (21m 50s): “Despite what Farke had said about things being resolved and him being back in training, from speaking to people around the club it didn’t feel as if the issue had been resolved, [or] that his attitude and problems around the release clause had gone away…
“Even if Gnonto sees himself elsewhere there’s absolutely no scope for him exiting the club until January at the earliest.
“I wouldn’t have said in his performance on Saturday there seemed to be any attitude problems. In fact he was the one player after half time who seemed to be turning it on a bit.”
At last
Getting past the deadline feels like an achievement in itself for Leeds United after the upheaval it caused to have the window open this summer.
Gnonto wanted to go, there seems to be no disputing that, and after he handed it a transfer request few would have expected him to be the one providing genuine threat down the left against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday while a teammate had forced their way out the previous night.
If the goalless draw against the Owls potentially displayed some of the mental exhaustion which likely pervaded the club during the window, the international break is an opportunity to come back stronger.
Players will be away with their countries, but now the Whites squad is finally set the manager can make clear plans and players should be able to find some rhythm.
The inability to break down an unadventurous Wednesday side at Elland Road at the weekend shows this side is still a work in progress but given the late starting point that is probably to be expected.
If Gnonto is engaged as he appears to be, and late additions are still to be properly integrated into the side, there should be scope for a marked improvement in the coming weeks.
In other Leeds United news, Adam Pope has issued a “cruel” verdict after a Whites player was left “absolutely disconsolate”.