Paul Merson has issued his verdict on the performance of Junior Firpo as the left-back came off the bench for Leeds United in their win over Birmingham City on Monday.
Leeds were dealt a blow inside the opening 20 minutes at Elland Road. Sam Byram had to be replaced after he sustained another injury. And that presented an opportunity for Junior Firpo, who has had another difficult season to date.
Firpo has never managed to silence all of his doubters during his time at Leeds. And there have been suggestions that Firpo could leave in the January transfer window.
Paul Merson praises Junior Firpo after Leeds win
But he may now be needed. And the early signs suggest that he could definitely have something to offer in the months ahead.
Firpo provided two assists on Monday as Leeds beat Birmingham 3-0. He did well on both occasions to cut the ball back for Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville in either half.
And speaking to Sky Sports (broadcast on 1/1; 17:17), Paul Merson suggested that he was impressed by the former Barcelona defender.
“Firpo came on for the injured Byram and played really well,” he said. “He was a threat down the left. Crossed it, it took a deflection [for the second goal]. And here again, this time he pulls it back for Summerville. Takes a touch, opens his body and just rolls it in.”
Club will probably always be open to offers for defender
As always, the big concern with Firpo appears to be his defensive attributes. And he did not look entirely comfortable at times against the Blues.
It really does feel that we are never going to be able to fully rely on Firpo. He has struggled with both form and fitness during his time in England.
If he is content to be a backup, then perhaps it makes sense to keep him in the long-term. But given that he signed from Barca while we were in the Premier League, you would imagine that he is on decent wages.
And with that, he is one player Leeds will surely always be open to listening to offers for.
But while he is still at Leeds, hopefully he is able to turn a corner at some stage and make a really impressive impact – as he did on Monday.
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