Junior Firpo torn to shreds in newspaper after ‘lazy’ Leeds United display v Southampton
Defender Junior Firpo has been dubbed “lazy” by Chris Dunlavy for his role in Leeds United’s 2-1 loss to Southampton on 4 May.
The Football League Paper journalist only gave the Leeds United left-back a 4/10 rating as the Whites slumped to a final-day defeat at Elland Road.
Firpo was particularly at fault for Southampton’s winning goal, failing to deal with a ball which looked to be going out of play before being beaten all ends up by Kyle Walker-Peters to tee up Will Smallbone.
In the Football League Paper (5 May, page 11), Dunlavy said that Firpo: “Must carry the can for Saints’ second. So lazy tracking Walker-Peters.”
Firpo flops as Leeds United consigned to Championship play-offs
Leeds United’s result against Southampton on the final day proved immaterial due to Ipswich Town sealing promotion with a win against Huddersfield, but their performance was yet another worrying one at Elland Road.
Firpo came under fire for his display and was the Whites’ lowest-ranked player in the Football League Paper, with Georginio Rutter and all five of Leeds’ substitutes scoring 5/10 themselves.
Dunlavy wasn’t even being particularly harsh either, with 7/10’s for both Ilia Gruev and Crysencio Summerville very generous scores.
No single player in Daniel Farke’s side stood out as the one to rescue a result against Southampton, as a woeful run of form continued into the final day.
The Leeds United shirt is a heavy one, and in the Championship run-in, the Peacocks have absolutely wilted, and enter the play-offs after a run of four defeats in their last six matches.
Can they turn their form around and win promotion via a trip south to Wembley? Only time will tell, but Firpo needs to make sure he’s one of the players who comes to the fore if Leeds are to make an immediate Premier League return.
In other Leeds United news, a new stumbling block has emerged in the Whites’ transfer push for Joe Rodon.
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