BBC pundit Jon Newsome was not impressed with the performance of a Leeds United substitute in the win at Middlesbrough last night.
After three matches without a win, the Whites got their push for automatic promotion back on track with a dramatic 4-3 victory at the Riverside, amid a nervy last 10 minutes.
The two sides produced one of the most entertaining opening 45 minutes of the season as Boro went in front early on, before goals from Patrick Bamford and Crysencio Summerville quickly turned it on its head.
In-form Emmanuel Latte Lath then equalised for the hosts, but they were not level for very long as Willy Gnonto latched onto a Summerville through-ball he was ‘begging’ for just before the break.
Leeds were far more compact in the second half and opened up a two-goal lead through Summerville’s trademark strike just after the hour-mark.
The half-time game plan was working for Leeds until Latte Lath headed in Boro’s third, by which point Daniel Farke had made a number of changes, including the withdrawal of the entire front four. Thankfully, though, Leeds held on.
Newsome says James was just ‘walking around’ for Leeds
Leeds actually had a number of chances to kill the game at 4-2, with Summerville, Gnonto and substitute Dan James all guilty of being wasteful in front of goal.
The latter’s was arguably the worst of the three, as he was played through by Joel Piroe but took an age to get a shot away, which allowed Alex Bangura to produce a last-ditch tackle.
Considering the man he replaced in Gnonto produced a phenomenal performance, James was extremely ineffective after his introduction. It was an uncharacteristic display from him, as he has been an excellent super sub recently.
However, the 26-year-old was not switched on defensively and offered little on the counter, with Newsome telling BBC Radio Leeds during the match he was ‘walking around like a kickabout in the park’.
He said: “Again, what is Meslier doing? He is literally stumbling around like Bambi. And the ball inside Dan James, yeah, Dan James should do better. You come on as a substitute, you have got to do a job. He has come on, he is walking around like it’s a kickabout in the park. It’s not.”
James performance compounded by injury blow
Not only was James poor after coming on, but his night was compounded by picking up an injury which could actually end his season.
James could barely move in stoppage time after going down under a challenge on the right-flank. He was seen clutching his rib/core area, with Farke saying after the game it does not look good.
He said: “Not so much Joe Rodon, just a hit on his calf. Daniel James a bigger concern because it could his core muscle. Bad news if it’s a major injury.”