Aaronson proves Adam Pope wrong after what he did for Leeds v Middlesbrough
Leeds United carried on their winning ways in the Championship with their victory against Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
The Whites left Elland Road as 3-1 victors and regained top spot in the second tier. Granted, Sheffield United do have a game in hand on the West Yorkshire outfit so there’s still a chance that the Blades could overtake their Yorkshire rivals once again.
In Leeds’ game against Boro on 10 December, however, Brenden Aaronson had a particularly impressive outing but prior to the game, Adam Pope believed that the number 10 role within the Whites squad wasn’t working as it should.
And, with Aaronson the only natural attacking midfielder in the team, most of the criticism was likely directed towards him.
“It’s the eye test isn’t it and the view is that it’s not working the way it should be, it’s not horrendous but it’s an area that’s coming under the microscope,” he said on the Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet Podcast (9 December).
“I’m not saying Joe Rothwell is going to be the perfect number 10 or anything like that but he can press as well and Aaronson can do that but I think he [Rothwell] has more composure when he’s passing.”
However, after bagging Leeds’ third of the night, it seems that the United States international may have found his mojo once again.
Why should Leeds United stick with Brenden Aaronson?
In the summer, Daniel Farke was on the hunt for a new number 10 with names such as Gustavo Hamer’s and Roland Sallai’s being thrown into the mix.
While the German did reportedly choose to make a move for Hamer, nothing ever came to fruition and Farke found himself with just one natural attacking midfielder within his ranks.
Since his return to Elland Road, it took the former RB Salzburg man a decent chunk of time to win fans back over after he chose to depart on loan for Union Berlin upon their relegation from the Premier League.
However, he found himself on a bit of a redemption arc with this early season form before facing some criticism as his performances stagnated, to sort of highlight the rollercoaster he’s been on with Leeds fans.
So far this term, he’s contributed to five goals and while this may not seem like the best of returns, it’s pretty decent considering the physicality of the Championship.
It’s unknown whether Leeds will make moves in January for a new number 10 but if not, Aaronson feels like a more than capable player for them to rely upon.
In other Leeds news, Jeff Stelling was left stunned by the claims Ally McCoist made about the Whites.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.