Former Leeds United defender Jon Newsome has voiced criticism of Junior Firpo’s recent performance, particularly questioning the defensive aspect of his game. Firpo, who arrived at Leeds from Barcelona in 2021 as a notable signing, has yet to meet the expectations placed on him.
Having made his first start of the season against Rotherham after recovering from a long-term knee injury, Firpo’s display fell short of expectations, showing signs of sluggishness and rustiness. Newsome, while expressing a desire for Firpo to succeed, raised several doubts, particularly emphasizing concerns about the defender’s perceived ‘mediocre’ defensive abilities.
During an appearance on BBC Radio Leeds, Newsome commented, “I think the biggest thing is we do all want him to succeed. We do all want him to do well. But there’s just so many parts of his game that I question, especially the defensive side of it. And I do scratch my head. I think he’s a long way off. I thought his performance was very, very mediocre at best. So yeah, poor.”
Despite Leeds’ challenging start to the season with only one win in five games, their manager Daniel Farke has successfully turned things around. Currently sitting in 3rd place in the Championship with 9 wins, 5 draws, and only 3 defeats, Farke’s performance has been commendable. The question raised is whether the former Norwich City manager can lead Leeds back to the Premier League.
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