Good Morning. It's Tuesday and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Dan James back on song
Despite being a little ring rusty, Dan James gave the Elland Road faithful a glimpse into what he brings to the party, with a dominant performance against the Pilgrims last weekend. James, 27 this week, is on the road to recovery after three months on the side-lines with a hamstring injury. His 13 goals and 7 assists in just 2700 minutes of game time last season, shows all we need to know about what he brings to the squad.
As Nancy Froston points out in a rare piece she has penned in 'The Athletic' yesterday, it's easy to get carried away 'by the promise of shiny new arrivals'. Many have taken the easy route and already labelled the young Welshman as an impact sub given his speed and versatility but I feel he deserves a much bigger role, and will be a contributing factor as to where Leeds end up next May. According to Froston...
For anyone who needed reminding, Dan James has shown once again why he is one of Leeds United’s most valuable players. There are flashier attacking options in manager Daniel Farke’s squad. There are players in that squad who have been at the club for far less time than the Welshman yet have their own catchy songs — in some cases, multiple tunes — sung in their honour from the terraces.
But in Saturday’s 3-0 home win against Plymouth Argyle, James produced a performance to reassert his status as the player who is the heartbeat of this side. When Leeds have needed him, in far tougher tests than the one posed by Wayne Rooney’s weekend visitors, James has stepped up. He was one of the few players not to wilt under the pressure of the occasion at last season’s Championship play-off final and he still bears a scar on his forehead from a collision with Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters in that game.
This campaign has been a clean slate for Leeds to build something new under Farke after the monumental efforts of last season and its agonising end, as automatic promotion slipped away and was followed by Wembley defeat. James’ class has never been in doubt but it is always easy to get carried away by the promise of shiny new arrivals.
Those came in the forms of Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon, both brought in to add depth out wide in the final week of this year’s summer window. Meanwhile, Willy Gnonto has looked most likely to inherit the departed Crysencio Summerville’s ‘main man’ title with a number of standout performances making him certain of a starting place.
With injuries disrupting his start to the season — six league matches missed due to a hamstring complaint from August to October — it was easy to overlook James and his importance to what is a youthful Leeds side. But against Plymouth, he showed what he adds from the off, despite being a doubt due to a return of his hamstring issue before the game.
James, who turns 27 this week, was a menace to Plymouth as they camped 10 men behind the ball in an attempt to shut Leeds out. There was little hope of that approaching paying off as he sent crosses into the area and produced a moment of magic for the opener on the half-hour. Leeds’ 23 shots to zero dominance over the course of the game reflected the gap between the two sides, particularly in the first half.
You knew it was coming!!!
There is a distinct possibility that Kalvin Phillips could become available on loan in January with fitness issues continuing to rile Ipswich Town gaffer Kieran McKenna. The former Leeds saviour's fall from grace after leaving Elland Road in 2022 is well documented, as is his apparent desire to return to Elland Road. The general consensus is that the 28yo is overweight, and does not have the fitness levels necessary for a top flight player.
The Tractor Boys looked to be on course for their first three points of the season; that was before Phillips was sent off thirteen minutes from time, during which time Crystal Palace managed to rescue a point. This incensed the Ipswich gaffer who looks set to send Phillips packing in the new year.
Many believe Phillips has been unlucky. One tabloid even wrote 'if Kalvin Phillips won the lottery, he would probably lose his winning ticket'. When on form, Phillips has proven to be one of the best midfielders in the World. That may seem like long time ago now, but given the opportunity, should Leeds take the gamble? We were happy to offer Manchester City £3m (in loan fees) for a young and improving Jack Harrison back in 2018, so there would be no monitory reason why Leeds and Manchester City couldn't negotiate a deal!
