Farke must now drop 3/10 Leeds ace who lost possession 17x vs Sunderland
da dobrowin： Leeds United could only muster up one shot on target on Tuesday night against Sunderland, with the scoreline unsurprisingly reading as 0-0 come full-time as a result.
da betsul： It was a surprise, however, that Daniel Farke's Whites looked so bereft of ideas going forward and stumbled to this Championship stalemate when everything pointed in the direction of a bounce-back victory on home turf.
Leeds fans packed into Elland Road must have been expecting a response from the 2-1 away defeat to Coventry City, especially when facing off against a lacklustre Black Cats side who had recently shipped five to Blackburn Rovers.
In reality, they were left bitterly disappointed by the Whites' performance on the night, with the likes of Daniel James struggling throughout to really test Anthony Patterson in the opposition net.
Daniel James' performance vs Sunderland in numbers
The ex-Manchester United attacker was very much out-of-sorts by his lofty standards for this season so far, having amassed 13 goals and seven assists from 38 games.
Yet, that spark to be able to score a crucial strike or tee a teammate up with a golden opportunity was missing from his game completely on Tuesday night.
James would only register two shots on goal in the stalemate – with neither of those efforts going down as on-target shots – on top of failing to complete a single successful dribble.
Moreover, the usually electric Welshman would squander possession a costly 17 times in the contest to allow Sunderland a constant way back into a game Leeds should have dominated and showed off their superior position near the top end of the division.
James would even up end being dished out with a 3/10 rating after the game from LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross, who stated that the forward had 'no memorable moments' in attack.
James' numbers vs Sunderland
Minutes played
82
Touches
40
Accurate passes
15/20
Possession lost
17x
Accurate crosses
0/7
Successful dribbles
0/1
Stats by Sofascore
It wasn't just James however, with the likes of Georginio Rutter also below-par alongside the Welsh winger to leave Farke looking frustrated at full-time with his side.
The French attacking midfielder would end up losing possession 17 times also, alongside firing zero on-target shots at Patterson's goal.
The door could now swing open for Wilfried Gnonto to replace James when Leeds face off against Blackburn up next consequently, with Farke hoping a change in personnel down the right wing makes his side more of a threat going forward against John Eustace's team.
Wilfried Gnonto as James' replacement
Gnonto was afforded an 18-minute run-out in the 0-0 draw on Tuesday, but was unable to really leave his mark on the game from such a short amount of time on the pitch by only registering 15 touches.
Still, when glancing over Gnonto's numbers in recent months when the Italian attacker has stepped in for James being absent, the former FC Zurich man can act as a reliable and effective replacement.
Bagging this strike all the way back in February when the ex-Red Devil was sidelined against Bristol City, this winner at Ashton Gate would begin a mini purple patch for the 20-year-old who would close out the month with three more goals.
Scoring two out of the three times he was a starter in Farke's XI in March too, with the last of those strikes coming against Millwall, the German boss will be tempted to freshen things up and give Gnonto a start next match.
James will no doubt still have a part to play in Leeds' ongoing quest for promotion, but based off his unmemorable showing against the Black Cats, the Welsh attacker is in need of a breather soon.
This £30k-p/w Leeds star is now undroppable for Farke after latest blinder
The Whites defender produced yet another fantastic performance for the German head coach.
ByDan EmeryApr 10, 2024