Leeds United fans must be sick of the sight of Wembley as their beloved team crashed to another defeat at the famous stadium on Sunday afternoon in the FA Cup.
Staggeringly, Leeds, off the back of a 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup semi-final to Chelsea, have now lost their last four games in a row at Wembley without scoring a single goal, as Enzo Fernandez’s early header proved to be enough for Calum McFarlane to win his debut match in the dug-out.
In contrast, Daniel Farke‘s hunt for his own first win at the home of football drags on, having also lost the 2024 Championship playoff to Southampton here.
He would’ve been let down by a timid display from his troops, who struggled to get going, as Chelsea comfortably secured their passage through to the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
In particular, he would’ve had his head in his hands when Pascal Struijk failed to control a pass in the build-up to Fernandez’s opener, with question marks now in the air as to whether the error-prone centre-back should remain in his starting XI.
Why Farke must now drop Struijk
Fernandez is now up to 13 goals for the season after winning this subdued semi-final showdown, with the Argentine playmaker well-known for pulling off the audacious.
In this instance, however, it was a simple unmarked header from the World Cup winner that would break the deadlock, with Pedro Neto confidently bursting forward with pace to put it on a plate for his teammate after Struijk’s indecisive blunder on the ball.
Winning only five of his 15 duels during the narrow defeat, too, it’s clear that the German must drop the underperforming number five for Leeds’ next Premier League clash with Burnley.
With hindsight on side, Farke might have been better off starting Joe Rodon over the 26-year-old, with the Welsh enforcer at the heart of the Leeds backline that humbled Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road, back in December.
Struijk was far from being the only senior first-team presence who let the side down, though, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin put in a passive display throughout, notably missing a free header deep into the second half when he should have at least test Robert Sanchez more.
Moreover, there was another underperformer who was as bad as Struijk throughout, who is now in danger of becoming the next Jack Harrison in West Yorkshire…
Leeds must upgrade on their new Harrison
Under Marcelo Bielsa, Harrison was a blistering winger who would often get Leeds fans out of their seats with his high-octane displays.
Indeed, his debut Premier League campaign for the Whites saw him bag eight goals and pick up eight assists, as he collected 36 first-team appearances along the way.
Now, however, he is routinely shipped out on loan away from Elland Road, having seriously fallen down the pecking order. In the present day, Brenden Aaronson in danger of becoming a likeminded remnant of the past, who offers very little in the here and now, like Harrison, if he isn’t upgraded.
|
Aaronson vs Harrison @ Leeds |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Aaronson (goals/assists) |
Harrison (goals/assists) |
|
First season |
1 / 3 |
4 / 3 |
|
Second season |
Out on loan |
6 / 8 |
|
Third season |
9 / 2 |
8 / 8 |
|
Fourth season |
4 / 5 |
8 / 1 |
|
Fifth season |
N/A |
Out on loan |
|
Sixth season |
N/A |
0 (out on loan) |
In much the same way Bielsa took a liking to the ex-Manchester City attacker, it’s clear that Farke holds the American in high regard, with 87 appearances donning Leeds white under his belt now, with the German boss in charge.
He did score nine goals last season, as the West Yorkshire giants triumphantly hoisted the Championship title aloft, but his numbers have dwindled this campaign so far, with only nine goal contributions next to his name from 33 appearances, as he squandered a golden chance against Chelsea when the scoreline was locked at 0-0.
Aaronson, instead of powering his effort past Sanchez with conviction, weakly hit his shot straight at the Chelsea stopper, meaning he only has two assists to shout about for Farke’s men across his last ten appearances.
Patience will be wearing thin with the USMNT star; therefore, with a worry that the £25m signing will overstay his welcome and be a burden like Harrison if he continues to be let off the hook for unconvincing displays.
Leeds could well look to upgrade on Aaronson in the summer, as it’s clear that the 25-year-old is becoming a new Harrison-style problem, in being another hit-and-miss individual who is overplayed, despite putting in feeble performances.
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