adminLeeds United crashed out of the Carabao Cup last night after suffering an entertaining 6-3 defeat at the hands of fellow Premier League side Chelsea.
At one point, it looked as though Daniel Farke’s men were heading towards a place in the fourth round after establishing a two-goal advantage shortly after the interval.
However, Xabi Alonso’s inspired changes at half-time gave the Blues a way back into the contest, with the hosts going on to score four goals in just 12 second-half minutes.
The Whites faithful will certainly be frustrated to have seen their side lose by three goals after holding a two-goal lead, with one player particularly failing to make an impact during the clash at Stamford Bridge.
Why Dan James needs to be dropped after Chelsea
As was the case during Leeds’ clash with Nottingham Forest in the previous cup round, Farke opted to deploy winger Daniel James in a right-wing-back position.
The Welsh international managed to impress in that role during the earlier round, but it’s fair to say he was exposed while operating in such an unfamiliar position last night.
He was considerably less effective in possession when getting forward, subsequently failing to complete any of the three dribbles he attempted at the Bridge.
Even when finding a teammate, James struggled to make the desired impact, as highlighted by his 58% pass completion rate – which resulted in him surrendering possession to the opposition 11 times.
It was without the ball where the 28-year-old was most vulnerable, as he conceded a penalty that gave the hosts a way back into the contest just minutes after Leeds had extended their advantage.
James also failed to register any interceptions, blocks or tackles during the defeat, with Alonso’s side repeatedly finding joy down the left flank.
His struggles defensively were further highlighted by his ground duels record, with the Welshman losing 87% of the battles he contested.
Leeds star was just as bad as Dan James
Following such a display, Leeds boss Farke has been given further evidence regarding his preferred starting eleven for the remainder of the Premier League campaign.
Several squad players were given an opportunity to impress in West London last night, but ultimately failed to make the most of the chance presented to them.
James is certainly one player who falls into that category, although there’s no question he wasn’t the only one who struggled during the Carabao Cup defeat to Alonso’s side.
Midfielder Sean Longstaff was also given the opportunity to make just his second start of the season, but like the Welshman, failed to capitalise on the opportunity.
The 28-year-old, who arrived from Newcastle United last summer, played 67 minutes of Wednesday night’s encounter before being substituted for Ao Tanaka.
That decision was certainly understandable, with the Englishman’s underlying numbers from the match highlighting his difficulties against a stronger opponent.
Longstaff failed to create any big chances from his deeper midfield role, while managing just three completed passes into the final third from 27 attempts.
Those figures underline his cautious approach in possession, with the midfielder frequently choosing safe options – often recycling the ball backwards to retain possession.
He also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles or crosses on the night, while recording fewer touches than goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, with the pair registering 42 and 54 respectively.
Defensively, the Englishman also struggled to make an impact, failing to record any interceptions and winning just 50% of his ground duels.
Longstaff was undoubtedly a useful squad player to have around during Leeds’ first season back in the Premier League, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious that he is no longer at the standard required.
He and James ultimately aren’t at the level needed if the club are to make the jump and become a competitive top-half side – with Farke now needing to remove both players from his first-team plans.
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