‘West Brom saw it and we did not’ – BBC pundit blasts Leeds transfer decision in January
BBC Radio Leeds pundit Noel Whelan has blasted Leeds United for not pursuing a move to sign Callum Robinson from Sheffield United in January.
Robinson, 24, has hit the ground running since joining West Brom on loan last month, helping the Baggies win 10 points in their last four matches and scoring his first goal for the Midlands club in their draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Leeds, on the other hand, signed three players in January and none of them have started any Championship fixtures as of yet.
Elia Caprile has gone straight into the Under-23s, Ian Poveda was on the bench a couple of times before being dropped completely and marquee signing Jean-Kevin Augustin does not seem to be up to speed.
Augustin, 22, has come off the bench in the last three matches but has not really shown that he deserves to take Patrick Bamford’s starting spot off him just yet, despite the United forward finding it hard to hit the back of the net in recent months.
Meanwhile Robinson has helped revive West Brom’s form by starting all four of their league games since joining them.
Ex-Leeds striker Whelan has now suggested that Leeds made a mistake by signing Augustin and not a proven Championship attacker like Robinson.
“I think we missed a trick in not signing him,” Whelan told Football Insider.
“He knows the league. A good strong player. West Brom saw it and we did not.
“You want a player that is ready to come straight in and play.
“There is one right there and we have got someone called Augustin who has played three games in eight months. He is not up to speed, not match fit. There is a lot of work in progress.
“How much can we get out of him between now and the end of the season? Robinson is hitting the ground running. Augustin is still getting his fitness and that is not helping us.
“We need a player like Robinson – ready to go and banging goals in. They got the upper hand on that. They signed a player ready.”
Whelan should know better than this.
Augustin is an out and out centre-forward, which is what Leeds needed to sign in the January window.
They tried with Che Adams and Andre Gray – both of whom are proven in the Championship – but had to settle for Augustin, even though he has been struggling at Monaco and had never played in English football.
Robinson may have played up front at Sheffield United this season but he is not an out and out centre-forward like Augustin or Bamford, he is definitely best in his natural role on the left-wing, where he has played for West Brom.
Leeds did not need a left-sided winger in January so why would they have needed Robinson?
In other Leeds United news, fans have reacted to footage of Lee Johnson pushing a Leeds player at Elland Road on Saturday.