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Leeds: Phil Hay urges Wilfried Gnonto to change up his game and style of play
Phil Hay believes that Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto has to start shaking up his game after being dropped on the weekend.
The Lowdown: Leeds need inspiration in the final third
Gnonto was a surprise signing over the summer from FC Zurich after Leeds missed out on bigger-name targets such as Bamba Dieng and Cody Gakpo, but he’s proved himself to be a bargain recruit.
The Italian winger has already racked up eight caps for his national side despite being just 19 and it’s no surprise why as he’s taken the Premier League by storm since arriving in the summer.
However, it appears as though Javi Gracia isn’t completely sold on Gnonto and him being the man to keep Leeds in the division as he was dropped on Saturday against Chelsea being afforded just 22 minutes.
The Latest: Gnonto is being worked out
While Hay acknowledges how good Gnonto has been for Leeds, he’s insisted on The Phil Hay Show that other teams have now worked him out, so he must start offering something different to games.
He said: (26:30) “Gnonto is somebody they’re going to need some output from before the end of the season.
“I think what I’ve noticed from him, and I guess the issue for him, is that it does seem after that period where he could do no wrong and was having such a big impact on games it does seem as though analysts and managers across the league have applied a clear eye to that and said this is somebody we need to keep a handle on and somebody we need to negate, double up on and whatever it is we do to stop him having the freedom of the pitch.”
The Verdict: Gracia must keep working with Gnonto
Leeds fans will be hoping that the dropping of Gnonto – who Hay believes will be in the running for ‘Player of the Year‘ – was just a tactical tweak and not a sign of things to come from now until the end of the season.
Gnonto has certainly surpassed many people’s expectations as even his former manager Jesse Marsch insisted he was a signing for the Under 21s originally, before being forced to bump him up into the first teams such was his natural ability.
Costing Leeds just £3.8 million in the summer could well turn out to be one of the bargains of the season, Leeds will now just be hoping Gracia can get even more out of him, or lose him when they’d drop down into the Championship.
