Jaka Bijol made his Premier League debut for Leeds in the 2-1 win over West Ham.
Daniel Farke had exclusively used Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon in the centre of defence so far this season in the Premier League – despite spending £15m to sign the Slovenia international from Udinese in June.
As Bijol helped Leeds return to winning ways at Elland Road, not every supporter was convinced about the 26-year-old.
Leeds fans share mixed reviews on Jaka Bijol display against West Ham
The Slovenian has been praised and criticised in equal measure by fans after a solid but unspectacular Premier League debut.
One Leeds supporter wrote on X (previously known as Twitter): “Bijol (was) decent defensively but sloppy on (the) ball – but that’ll come.”
A second echoed that sentiment and added: “I’d say Bijol was shaky at times, but that comes with not playing – so (he is) not in the rhythm.”
A third fan then went as far as saying that the Leeds No.15 is the best central defender at Elland Road, but will need time to prove it.
They said: “I like Bijol, said for a long time he’s our best CB, but he was understandably rusty tonight. Confident he will be class in time though.”
A fourth Leeds supporter was more decisive in their praise for the man born in Vuzenica, posting: “Bijol looks every bit of the defender that was top of the Serie A metrics last season.”
A fifth also spoke highly of the £15m man, adding: “Bijol is absolutely mustard.”
Last but not least, a sixth Leeds fan was struck by how physical Bijol was in the tackle against West Ham.
They wrote: “Bijol did okay tonight, his first game in (the) Prem so he will need some time – but what I do like about him (is) he will leave something on a player and he’s smart with it.”
Norman Hunter – who Joe Rodon is chasing down in the record books – earned the nickname Bites Yer Legs for his strong tackling on the way to becoming a legend at Leeds, so Bijol could quickly become a popular man in Yorkshire if he adopts the same approach to defending.
How Jaka Bijol fared statistically against West Ham
Despite one Leeds fan claiming Bijol was “sloppy” on the ball, his passing accuracy was the standout statistic against West Ham.
| Category | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Top stats | |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Total shots | 0 |
| Accurate passes | 53/56 (95%) |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Dribbles | 0 |
| Attack | |
| Touches | 75 |
| Unsuccessful touches | 1 |
| Possession lost | 4 |
| Defence | |
| Tackles won | 2 |
| Clearances | 11 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Dribbled past | 1 |
| Duels | |
| Ground duels won | 3/7 |
| Aerial duels won | 3/3 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Fouls committed | 3 |
As SofaScore shows, Bijol completed 53 of his attempted 56 passes – with one of those creating a chance – and only took one unsuccessful touch of the ball.
The Slovenian was also a mountain as West Ham piled on some pressure towards the end, making 11 clearances along with two tackles and two interceptions.
If this is what Bijol – who was growing frustrated under Farke – can do on his Premier League debut, it bodes very well for the future.
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