Ex-Leeds United hero on 'raw talent' potentially Elland Road bound and new man's tell-tale moment - YEP 11/1/23

Leeds United title-winning left-back casts his eye over new man Max Wober and eagerly anticipates the Whites filling a squad vacancy that has been open for some time.

By Tony Dorigo

The positions in which Leeds United have been crying out for signings have been no secret in the last few transfer windows.

And although the club have done their best to try and fill the gaps, we kept falling at the final hurdle when it came to a striker in the summer, so the sooner we can get a number nine in, the better.

Looking at Georginio Rutter's stats, video clips and what have you, he's clearly a number nine with some talent and of course at just 20 years of age you expect him to keep improving. The raw talent is absolutely there.

So if we get this one over the line it will give everyone a lift around the club, the players, the fans, the whole lot. Let's hope for some good news before too long.

If he signs on the dotted line this week then he'll be joining a club who are three games unbeaten and somehow still in the hat for the FA Cup fourth round.

Our record in the competition hasn't been good in recent years and yet with the way things have been going it was important to try and get some form of momentum going.

The performance at Cardiff did not feel like a major step forward, because we struggled, and there are plenty of improvements that we need to find.

As a manager, any time to go to play against lower league opposition, you have to understand that this is the FA Cup and a visit from Leeds is what it's all about. They can't wait to turn you over, so they will fight, dig in and give absolutely everything, so you've got to match them for that fight, first, and then earn the right to play. Eventually your technical superiority should take over.

I thought we actually started well, we dominated and showed pace and poise. There was a good tempo, even if we didn't trouble the keeper and the frustration was that from looking in control, we fell asleep at the back, made silly errors and chaos ensued.

Despite all that, I was actually impressed by Darko Gyabi in the middle, he looked neat and tidy. Crysencio Summerville was lively early on, before he was crunched.

In the second half, 2-0 down, we were still a bit wayward and it took the substitutions to change things.

Max Wober, when he came on, was a calm head and showed a bit of aggression. Making the right decisions at the right times sounds easy, it's just not something we've been good at, so his impact and influence was key.

When we're looking for attacking inspiration, though, it's Willy Gnonto we look to again and again. He just looks lively, confident and wants to take people on. The downside is that they get kicked all over.

Junior Firpo looked good too in the final 20 minutes. It has to be said, against a Championship side down to 10 men in the final minutes then you should be looking good and putting them to the sword but it wasn't like that for large periods, so credit to him for getting back into the match.

As a left-back myself, we look at the modern full-backs flying forward but the first thing you need to be able to do is read the game well defensively, get your positioning right and make sure your opponent doesn't get the better of you.

You also have to have link-up ability, get into good areas, show calmness and cross the ball well.

What resonated with me when it came to Wober, who has been signed as a centre-back who can play left-back but played as a 6 at Cardiff, was a moment when he put the ball in a good area and no one got on the end of it. He turned to remonstrate with Joe Gelhardt to say that's where I'm going to put it, you've got to get there. We need people out there talking to others, helping the younger players and in difficult moments leading the team through it. We saw glimpses of that from him.

Ultimately, we did just enough to get the replay, although if ever there was a slippery banana skin it's what awaits in the fourth round. Boreham Wood and Accrington Stanley will be thinking they've hit the jackpot if Leeds beat Cardiff, and they'll be ready to give absolutely everything.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, however. We've got to beat Cardiff and that's not going to be easy.

Before then, it's a trip to Villa Park, under the lights. It's my first club and there's something wonderful about a night game there.

Every little point we've got to cherish right now, and we've had a good record there in recent years, producing some sparkling displays. There will be an appetite to go there and do the same. We know it will be difficult, they're moving in the right direction under a new manager and have some good players.

If we can get something out of the game it'll be a huge boost and then we'll look forward to maybe one or two transfers to give things a rosier look ahead of some really important fixtures coming up.