‘Have a little think’… BBC pundit thinks Daniel Farke may have to change Leeds player’s position now

Add as preferred source on Google

Daniel Farke may have made several changes to his Leeds United side last night, but there certainly wasn’t a drop in standard.

Mateo Joseph came in for just his second start of the campaign and scored his first two goals for the club, while Jaidon Anthony was another who came in and made an impact.

Farke also made a couple of positional changes and lined up with the midfield pairing that started the season in Ethan Ampadu and Archie Gray, who have both been needed at the back in the league.

Ampadu has alternated between midfield and defence throughout his whole career, though there is no doubt his best position is the former. Gray, meanwhile, is very much of a centre midfielder filling in at right-back.

Gray was handed the Man of the Match award on ITV in what was an incredible individual performance by the 17-year-old, and speaking on BBC Radio Leeds after the game, Jon Newsome believes Farke now has a decision to make whether to move him back there permanently.

Newsome says Farke now has Gray midfield call

He said: “I thought Archie was wonderful tonight, the way that he covered grass, you know he’s matured so much as a player. In this second half when Firpo was coming down the left, Archie is playing the ball to him and shouting for him to get forward.

“He’s actually dictating the play as a 17-year-old. He’s ordering 26-28-year-old men around as a kid, it doesn’t happen in another work place. It’s great to see that maturity, belief and football intelligence.

“I think he’s put a real marker down there tonight and said to Daniel Farke maybe you need to have a little think about this.”

Archie’s great uncle Eddie actually said before the game that the 17-year-old would be so much better for Leeds in his proper position, and he was certainly proven right last night.

Gray has been really impressive in recent weeks at right-back but simply goes up another level in midfield, and should Farke wish to make the change, he has Connor Roberts ready to come in.

Ilia Gruev missed the defeat to Chelsea due to injury and if he is not fit in time to face Huddersfield Town, then perhaps a midfield of Gray and Glen Kamara, with Ampadu at centre-back and Roberts on the right, could happen.