Dan James speaks out on Leeds United competition with brilliant verdict
Dan James has said that the competition for places, especially on the wings, at Elland Road this season is only likely to be beneficial to Leeds United.
The 25-year-old winger spent last season on loan with Fulham but struggled to make a consistent impact at Craven Cottage, being limited to only five Premier League starts and returning to his parent club after they were relegated to the Championship.
But the Whites’ relegation doesn’t guarantee minutes, at the moment the wings are where Daniel Farke has the most options, with Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto still at Elland Road despite various interest this summer.
However, speaking to Leeds Live on Wednesday (2 August) James suggested this could be beneficial to Farke’s side: “It’s brilliant, with players around you, you can’t really settle in that position. You’ve got to push on, you’ve got to give everything and know players can come on in your position and do well.
“We’ve got great options in every area of the pitch. We want to push on this season. We’ve got big expectations, so it’s important for us to have the backing of a good bench that can come on.
“We’ve got a good mixture of senior and young players and competition in each area and that’s brilliant for the whole team.”
Strength in depth
It’s not exactly a discovery that having more options normally makes a team more successful, but what Leeds are fortunate to have is not only depth but quality in their depth, with every wide option listed earlier more than capable of shining in the Championship.
James himself became a household name because of his performances in the second tier with Swansea City, that’s what forced Leeds to attempt to sign him under Marcelo Bielsa before the deal fell through and he instead joined Manchester United six months later.
The other positive for the Whites this season is the fact that they look to be in a position where if a player is sold, like could be the case with Gnonto this summer amid plenty of interest, they have the options to navigate the turbulence that could produce so close to the start of the season.
While there remain areas of concern ahead of the visit of Cardiff City, the wide areas should not trouble Leeds fans, as the options available to them are superb. As long as what James suggests is true and the players are thriving on that competition instead of letting it affect them negatively.
In other Leeds United news, one player who has departed Elland Road on loan has admitted he hoped his move would be permanent