Willy Gnonto prediction made as Daniel Farke wrestles with Leeds United changes for Coventry City after Sunderland loss – Phil Hay
Willy Gnonto is the most likely Leeds United change for Daniel Farke as he looks to rebound from a “leggy” defeat at Sunderland, in the view of Phil Hay.
Speaking on The Square Ball on 15 December the Athletic journalist suggested that he doesn’t expect too many alterations for the visit of Coventry City to Elland Road but highlighted the Italian attacker as the one he can see coming in.
The 20-year-old was a revelation last season but after pushing to leave before the summer transfer window shut this year he has become somewhat of an afterthought under Farke with teammates in top form, starting just once in the last three months in the much-changed 1-0 defeat at Stoke City on 25 October.
Hay said (30m): “I wonder if Gnonto might start. I think it will be the same back four, because I’m not really sure what the alternative is there unless he has [Jamie] Shackleton back and wants to mix that up… but it wasn’t sounding like he was very likely to be involved.
“So possibly Gnonto in. I don’t know if I can see him breaking up the [Ethan] Ampadu, [Glen] Kamara combination to be quite honest…
“Given the way that the selection’s gone recently it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise if there wasn’t much in the way of changes to the team at all but it just felt like coming out of Sunderland like everybody’d had a flat night.
“If it’s a one-off and you can refresh for the weekend, great. If you pick the same team and it looks leggy again on Saturday you’ll be wishing that you hadn’t.”
Switch up
It’s difficult to criticise this Leeds United side too much when they have largely been excellent since the early-season disruption ended.
But with Leicester and Ipswich setting such a pace this season a flat defeat every now and then threatens to put automatic promotion beyond reach.
The regular first XI has been so strong that a lot of the squad options haven’t got much of a regular look in, and while Gnonto has made 15 Championship appearances the vast majority of them have been late off the bench and he only has one goal and one assist to show for it.
If he does get the opportunity to remind Farke of his qualities he will need to take it because the body of work that Dan James and Crysencio Summerville have put together this term will get them back into the side quickly if he doesn’t.
The assumption always was that the manager would need the players who weren’t seeing much action at some point during a long Championship season and the 1-0 loss at Sunderland might have signified the time has come.
Either way it is important that the German gets his side back to winning ways as soon as possible in case an untimely slide arrives just as the fixtures are coming thick and fast.
In other Leeds United news, Farke has confirmed one of his transfer plans for the January window.