Leeds United are eyeing up four wins in succession when they travel to Stoke City this evening in the Championship.
The Whites secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Norwich City last time after returning from 2-0 down as a Shane Duffy own goal and a Crysencio Summerville brace sent the away end into pandemonium.
Ahead of this fixture against the Potters, Daniel Farke is anticipating an intense performance from the opposition, which could mean making some alterations to his side to freshen up proceedings.
What is the latest Leeds United team news?
Farke confirmed that there were no fresh injury concerns to his squad following their win over Norwich, however, Junior Firpo, Djed Spence and Stuart Dallas remain the only absentees.
Theoretically, the German head coach could name the same starting XI as last time out but given the Championship’s hectic schedule, it would be wise for him to utilise the full breadth of his squad.
With that being said, he could drop Dan James, who was wasteful against Norwich and replace him with Wilfried Gnonto.
How did Dan James perform against Norwich?
The fleet-footed winger terrorised the Canaries’ back line with his searing pace but once he got himself in a position to produce the final pass or cross, he showed a lack of composure.
Throughout his career, James has been criticised for his wastefulness in the final third – having been dubbed “headless” by pundit Darren Bent – and despite Leeds dropping down to the Championship, that continues to be a theme that plagues the rest of his game.
In his 84 minutes on the pitch at Carrow Road, the 26-year-old was threatening in the build-up phase but he was seriously lacking any substance to go with his approach play, aside from supplying the cross that was inadvertently turned into his own goal by Duffy.
According to SofaScore, James only made one successful dribble, misfired two of his eight attempted crosses, lost possession on 17 occasions and missed one big chance.
That is an indication, if it was ever needed, that the former Manchester United man lets the ground swallow him up when he enters a dangerous position, instead of remaining composed and producing a piece of quality to go with it.
Gnonto’s performances, however, paint a picture of someone who can provide the X Factor in the final third having burst onto the scene in the Premier League last season.
How has Wilfried Gnonto performed for Leeds this season?
When Wilfried Gnonto handed in a written transfer request in the summer, few would have expected him to still be plying his trade in the Championship.
However, a move never materialised and the Italian now looks set to play a huge part in the Whites charge for promotion.
The “special” forward – as lauded by former Leeds assistant coach Michael Skubala – made an instant impact on his return from injury by providing the assist off the bench for Crysencio Summerville’s curled effort.
In his six appearances under Farke this term, Gnonto has averaged more successful dribbles than James per game (2.2/0.6), a better pass completion (82%/77%) and fewer big chances missed, as per SofaScore.
Whilst James has supplied four assists compared to Gnonto’s one, the 20-year-old can prove against Stoke, if given a start, that he has the capacity to punish teams emphatically, unlike the Welshman.
If the diminutive teenager is unleashed from the off, the Potters won’t know what’s hit them.
