adminWilfried Gnonto’s departure from Leeds United on deadline day should serve as a reminder to players that Daniel Farke is not afraid to move on from stars who fail to perform.
The Italian forward was a standout player for the club in the Championship, scoring 18 goals across two seasons, but he failed to find the net in any of his 23 appearances in the Premier League last term.
His loan switch to Fiorentina could represent the start of the end of his career at Elland Road, and that has come as a result of his inability to make an impact in the top flight.
On the other hand, Ao Tanaka is the perfect example of how things can go in the opposite direction. He has progressed from being a fringe player at the beginning of last season to becoming a crucial member of Farke’s midfield.
How Ao Tanaka has become a star player for Leeds
The Japan international only started four of the club’s opening 11 Premier League matches last term, before finishing the campaign with seven consecutive starts.
Tanaka is not your conventional Premier League midfielder, as he lacks physical presence and does not excel in duels, but he offers a degree of technical ability that the other midfielders in the squad cannot match.
That ability was evident in the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, when he completed 100% of his attempted dribbles and set up Jayden Bogle’s goal with an intelligent pass across the goal line.
Tanaka also demonstrated greater physical strength during the draw with Brighton, winning all of his ground duels, while impressing in midfield alongside Anton Stach and Ethan Ampadu.
Farke is a strict, but fair, manager and the Japanese star’s excellent performances should ensure that he keeps his place in the side, provided he continues to produce on the pitch.
The Leeds star who is already undroppable
On that note, one of the club’s summer recruits has already produced a string of consistently impressive performances to the extent that he should already be regarded as undroppable by the German manager.
Leeds United have been fortunate to have some outstanding central defenders at Elland Road over the years, and Pontus Jansson was one of the finest because of his ability to combine commanding defending with quality in possession.
The Sweden international won 60% of his duels and completed 86% of his passes in 39 games in the Championship for Marcelo Bielsa during the 2018/19 campaign, and Farke may have just discovered his own version of the imposing star.
Tarik Muharemovic arrived during the summer transfer window for a fee of £34m from Sassuolo, and he has rapidly established himself as an undroppable presence for the Whites.
The left-footed defender arrived to replace Pascal Struijk, who was among the substitutes for Brighton on Saturday, and has made an immediate impression in the Premier League.
In fact, he was arguably even more impressive than Tanaka, despite the midfield maestro’s assist, as he played a vital role in creating a foundation for the rest of the team to build from.
Muharemovic finished the match with the highest number of defensive contributions and clearances among Leeds’ three central defenders, producing a commanding performance at the heart of the defence.
The Bosnia international outperformed Tanaka because of how vital he was to the way the Whites stopped Brighton from controlling the match and generating opportunities, which in turn gave the Japan international the platform to demonstrate his quality on the ball.
His overall displays in the Premier League indicate that he is rapidly becoming the manager’s own version of Jansson, with the defender winning 69% of his ground duels and completing 82% of his attempted passes across the opening three games.
Muharemovic, who has completed 93% of his passes in his own half, has displayed composure and quality in possession, while also proving to be a formidable defender for the Whites.
The 23-year-old star should already be regarded as completely undroppable for Leeds due to his all-round performances in the Premier League, and he could eventually earn the cult-hero status that Jansson once enjoyed in West Yorkshire.
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