Presenter Joe Wainman has said that Leeds United have ‘no excuses’ and must address the left-back situation in January.
Pascal Struijk has been a mainstay in the Leeds team on the left-hand side of the defence this season.
He has been the club’s best-performing player too according to tho WhoScored with an average 7.04 match rating but it would be beneficial for Jesse Marsch if he was able to deploy the Dutchman in his more favoured central role.
Natural left-back Junior Firpo has managed just one start this campaign due to struggles with injury and has never looked convincing when playing anyway leaving Wainman to claim that the area needs tending to when the market reopens.
Speaking on the Just Joe Football Show he said:
(8:37) “I’m yet to believe or yet to see it in January especially whether or not we’ll do it but one thing’s for sure we can’t go the rest of the season without a left-back.
“Like you could argue with striker I’d be fuming but the club can say well we do have Perkins we do have Joseph, we do have Joffy. At left-back, there are no excuses whatsoever because Firpo is continuously broken.
“Firpo’s not up to Premier League standard or up to championship standard from what I’ve seen, so you can’t rely on Struijk because guess what if Struijk got injured you’d be knackered.”
TIF Thoughts on Wainman’s comments…
Do Leeds need to sign a new left-back?
Yes!
No!
Firpo has had to contend with injuries ever since his move from Barcelona and has been described as a ‘let-down’ by journalist David Anderson.
Juan Arango branded the 26-year-old a ‘defensive liability’ for his performances before he even arrived at Elland Road and with Marsch seemingly not trusting enough of youngster Leo Fuhr Hjelde, a left-back may be sought by Victor Orta this January.
Football Insider have reported the Whites are interested in signing Philip Max from PSV but it will be interesting to see who the sporting director can manage to recruit when the market reopens. If he wishes to that is.