Ao Tanaka and Wilfried Gnonto narrative shut down at Leeds United after what’s happened
Graham Smyth has defended Daniel Farke’s decision to play Ao Tanaka and Wilfried Gnonto sparingly despite pleas from Leeds United fans.
Both Tanaka and Gnonto played a big role in Leeds’ Championship-winning campaign last season, sparking hope amongst fans that they could thrive in the Premier League.
However, since Farke‘s side has dramatically improved their form following the 3-2 defeat to Manchester City in November, midfielder Tanaka and Gnonto have featured sparingly.
Both were handed a chance to shine in the Elland Road outfit’s FA Cup fourth round tie away at Birmingham City on Sunday, but the duo underwhelmed against the Championship side.
Now, Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Smyth has taken on the narrative that Farke’s decision not to play these fan favourites is “killing” them on the pitch.
Daniel Farke accused of clipping the wings of Ao Tanaka and Wilfried Gnonto
Leeds star Tanaka was a revelation in the Championship, but he has struggled for consistency in the Premier League.
Of his 22 appearances this season, just seven have been Premier League starts, with Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Anton Stach often preferred over the Japanese international.
Likewise, Gnonto has featured 17 times this term, with the 22-year-old chalking up just six starts in all competitions.
Some Leeds fans have accused Farke of ruining Gnonto and Tanaka by not playing them enough, but Smyth simply doesn’t agree when looking at the squad.
He said on the Square Ball Podcast: “I don’t know if I can buy this, ‘Farke has killed Tanaka and Gnonto’ narrative that has sprung up. Farke sees them in training every day, but he sees Tanaka competing against Ampadu, Stach, and [Sean] Longstaff.
“If he’s not getting the better of them, then he is not going to get in the starting lineup.
“Nobody was saying in the wins, ‘He should have brought on Tanaka for longer, or he should have given Gnonto more of a run out’, because that isn’t how it works. He does what he thinks it will take to win a game.”
Smyth added that a manager trying to keep Leeds in the Premier League would not hold back a player if he thought they were better than the one Farke is starting.
What does this mean for Tanaka and Gnonto at Leeds in the long run?
There is an argument to say that Tanaka and Gnonto’s form has dropped off due to not getting a run of games to strut their stuff.
But as Smyth points out, Leeds have beaten the likes of Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest, while earning creditable draws with the Blues, Manchester United, Liverpool, Brentford, and more, since the City game.
As this Sofascore graphic below shows, Tanaka didn’t set the world alight against English second-tier team Birmingham in the FA Cup. So why should he start at Aston Villa on Saturday in the Premier League?
Equally, is Gnonto deserving of a starting place over the likes of Brendan Aaronson, who is playing the best football of his career, or Noah Okafor?
Until Gnonto and Tanaka have a blinder off the bench for Leeds, they are likely to remain fringe players for the rest of the season.
If that occurs, a parting of the ways could come in the summer if Leeds stay up. Whenever a team progresses, there are always casualties.
Both players have something to offer Leeds, but perhaps not as much as some of their teammates right now, with depth always key as the season goes on.
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