Ao Tanaka exit can’t be ruled out at Leeds after what Daniel Farke has done
Ao Tanaka’s future at Leeds United is certainly up for debate.
Survival is the ultimate goal for Leeds United this season, and after their 1-0 win over Fulham at Elland Road, they have moved one step closer towards achieving that.
Now 22 games into the season, the Whites are eight points above the drop zone, which is the same number of points separating them from the top seven.
Daniel Farke has had to make a lot of tough decisions and sacrifices to get Leeds where they are, and unfortunately for Tanaka, he seems to be on the wrong end of one of them.
Daniel Farke’s decision to drop Ao Tanaka says a lot
Had it not been for Tanaka, there is every chance that Leeds would have been knocked out of the FA Cup at the first time of asking against Derby County last weekend.
While it was missed, it was Tanaka’s pass that led to the Leeds penalty, and it was his goal that gave the Whites the lead after Willy Gnonto had levelled the game.
To put it straight, Tanaka was one of, if not the best player on the park against Derby, and it seemed like a no-brainer for him to start against Fulham.
However, once again, Farke opted to drop Tanaka to the bench, with Ilia Gruev, Ethan Ampadu, and Brenden Aaronson playing centrally instead.
That was also without taking into account the absence of Anton Stach due to injury, and Sean Longstaff, who was named on the bench after his recent return.
If this is truly how far Tanaka has fallen down the pecking order, then it’s hard to say that the Whites wouldn’t at least consider an offer, if one were to be made for him in January.
Tanaka isn’t the only one who was axed vs Fulham
While it’s true to say that Leeds may have lost against Derby without Tanaka, the same can be said about Gnonto, given the fact that it was his goal that gave his side some hope in the second half.
However, the Italian was also dropped to the bench against the Cottagers, despite having impressed against the Rams last time out.
To make matters worse for Gnonto, he has started just four of the 13 matches he has been involved in for Leeds in the Premier League this season.
It was a very similar case in the Championship last season, where Gnonto started just over half of their league fixtures.
There will be a reason, and likely a good one, for their continued omission, but it remains strange to see how two players with such quality can be so dispensable.
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