What Daniel Farke said after Calvert-Lewin debut should already worry Leeds fans
Dominic Calvert-Lewin endured a disappointing debut for Leeds United in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup exit.
Leeds salvaged a 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, but lost on penalties without scoring a single one.
Calvert-Lewin missed some superb chances for Leeds and skied his penalty before delivering a message to Leeds supporters on social media.
Now, the Elland Road faithful have every right to feel concerned about what Farke has said about Calvert-Lewin.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin arrived at Leeds United with baggage
Calvert-Lewin arrived with baggage at Elland Road despite signing on a free transfer.
During his Everton days, the 28-year-old showed signs of being a class striker, but his Toffees career fizzled out in worrying fashion.
In his final campaign at Goodison Park, the Englishman bagged just three goals in 26 appearances, while looking shot of confidence.
- The forward was a regular starter when he was fit
- He did suffer a hamstring injury that kept him out for 12 successive games
- Went 16 matches without a goal
Although he may have the excuse of injuries, that only adds to the baggage in Yorkshire, and it is something to be wary of.
Calvert-Lewin did not feature against Everton or Arsenal in the Premier League, with an appetizing Carabao Cup tie with Wednesday providing an open gate to goals, but things could not have gone any worse.
Now, Farke’s comments on the forward are only going to accelerate the already stark concerns over his Elland Road impact.
Read more: New Joel Piroe footage shows Calvert-Lewin might have just made mistake by signing for Leeds
What Daniel Farke said about Dominic Calvert-Lewin
After the defeat to the Owls’ teenage team, Farke spoke to the media and addressed the performance of his team.
Unsurprisingly, Calvert-Lewin was in the spotlight after his showing, with the German making some telling comments.
- Calvert-Lewin missed three big chances against the Owls
- He managed one shot on target
- The striker lost possession on two occasions
Farke said: “He actually had three chances when he came on during the game. I am happy he was getting those chances.
“It is his first minutes of the season, and it was good to see him get in the right positions. We know Dominic will get sharper and will take these chances in the future.
“He is a fantastic striker, and he is what we need up front. It is not always easy to come on the pitch and have chances come at you so quick, but he has the ability to get in the right places.
“It is also tough when you are so quickly into things, and anything can happen with penalties. He has a great record taking penalties, and this was an unfortunate moment for him.”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin continues concerning trend for Leeds
While Farke’s comments may come across to some as encouraging, they pinpoint a problem with Calvert-Lewin.
Yes, he can get himself into good scoring positions, but he is clearly unable to take his chances in front of goal.
His performance against Wednesday was not anything new, and it was like watching an old tape recording of his displays for Everton last campaign.
Could it be a confidence issue? Perhaps, but this has gone on far too long to not be a problem.
In his last four Premier League campaigns, the striker has scored 17 goals, an average of just over four a season.
Quite frankly, if that is what Leeds are relying on, then they are in deep, deep trouble.
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