Leeds United: Junior Firpo fails to take massive chance as Daniel Farke issue emerges
Junior Firpo failed to take the massive chance he was provided off the bench for Leeds United against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday (11 November).
The Dominican left-back replaced the injured Sam Byram on 54 minutes in what was his first appearance of the season after returning from injury.
The 27-year-old didn’t put in the best performance, though, and Daniel Farke will no doubt be concerned by the issue surrounding Byram following the 2-1 victory.
The 30-year-old, who returned to Leeds over the summer after leaving Norwich at the end of last season, was seen heading down the tunnel after what appeared to be an issue with his right foot.
The Whites academy product has had a number of injury problems over the years, so he will be hoping that it isn’t a problem that keeps him out of action for too long.
The versatile defender has featured 16 times already this season after he’s faced little competition on the left-hand side of the backline before Firpo’s return.
In his 54 minutes on the field against Plymouth, Byram made two tackles, won four of his six duels and gave away possession just five times as he recorded a superb 92 per cent pass success rate [SofaScore].
Firpo wasn’t quite up to the standards that his teammate set after coming on with more than half an hour left to play as he was caught out of position in the build-up to Ben Waine’s consolation for Plymouth.
He was also nowhere near as comfortable in possession as Byram, with the left-back recording just a 76 per cent pass accuracy as he gave the ball away on seven occasions during his time on the pitch.
The two defenders are very different options for Farke, as Firpo is more of an athletic figure who likes to get forward and Byram adds more stability to the back four, suggesting that he fits the current side better due to the wealth of attacking players at the club.
While it is still early days for the Dominican as he continues his return from a long spell on the sidelines, he will have to make better use of his chances if he is to mount a serious challenge for the left-back spot.
Depending on the seriousness of Byram’s issue, though, he could be presented with several more opportunities over the coming weeks.
In other Leeds United news, a player who snubbed a move to Elland Road has raved about Farke after what he did.