Farke must drop Leeds star who lost the ball 16 times

After losing to Manchester City at Elland Road on Saturday night, it was crucial that Leeds United returned to winning ways against Sunderland on Tuesday evening.

However, Daniel Farke’s men were unable to secure all three points in Yorkshire, as Regis Le Bris’ side secured a 1-0 victory thanks to Habib Diarra’s penalty.

Referee Stuart Atwell originally didn’t award the spot kick, but after a VAR check, he deemed that Ethan Ampadu had handled the ball after a battle with Granit Xhaka.

The Whites pushed for a late goal on home soil, but unfortunately, it was to no avail, as Farke’s side suffered a second home defeat in as many matches.

It certainly was an evening to forget for numerous players who started the encounter, with the manager likely having some huge calls to make ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Norwich City.

Leeds’ poor performers against Sunderland last night

For the third consecutive match across all competitions, midfielder Ilia Gruev was handed a start at the heart of Leeds’ midfield, but it was a decision that came back to bite Farke.

The Bulgarian international featured for 62 minutes before being replaced, after losing 100% of the ground duels he entered and failing to complete a single tackle.

He was also just as ineffective in possession, subsequently failing to register any changes for the attackers ahead him, along with a measly tally of two passes into the final third.

Gruev wasn’t alone in falling to impress at Elland Road, with questions certainly starting to be asked of Karl Darlow after his latest error between the sticks.

The Welshman only had one shot on target to deal with in Yorkshire, with Diarra’s spot kick the only shot the visitors managed to register during their triumph.

However, the 35-year-old dived the right way but was unable to get his body behind the strike, which ended up looping over him and into the back of the net.

The Leeds star who was worse than Darlow v Sunderland

Given the latest defeat on home soil, Leeds fans will certainly turn their attention to the teams below them ahead of their respective fixtures later on tonight.

The clash with the Black Cats presented the perfect opportunity for the Whites to pull further away from any looming relegation threat, but it will now go down as a missed opportunity.

Farke’s side largely dominated the encounter at Elland Road on Tuesday, even registering a total of 18 shots on the opposition goal – but their efforts were unfortunately in vain.

His men could only register four of their efforts on target, with opposition goalkeeper Melker Ellborg equal to all of the strikes – even keeping a clean sheet on his English debut.

Attacker Brenden Aaronson was once again handed the chance to start in the final third for Farke’s side, but the American international was unable to take advantage of the chance pushed in his direction.

The 25-year-old operated alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the top end of the pitch, but he was unable to produce the goods needed to secure all three points.

His underlying stats from the clash against Sunderland highlight his struggles, with Aaronson falling way below the expectations he’s set for himself in recent months.

He featured for a total of 74 minutes, but only managed to complete 65% of the passes he attempted, subsequently gifting possession back to the hosts on 16 separate occasions.

The American international also failed to create any chances for those around him, whilst being unable to complete any of the dribbles or crosses he attempted in attacking areas.

His struggles with the ball at his feet no doubt played a part in the Whites’ inability to find the back of the net, which certainly resulted in his substitution from the clash.

Aaronson also only managed to win 50% of the ground and aerial duels that he contested last night, with the opposition able to nullify the threat he posed in Yorkshire.

After such a showing, Farke desperately needs to consider other options within his senior ranks, especially if the Whites are to return to winning ways in the games ahead.

The likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Joel Piroe will certainly be champing at the bit for a start, after both being utilised off the bench during yesterday’s defeat.

However, it was evident against the Black Cats that the American was miles off the pace, with Farke needing to take the attacker out of the firing line in the upcoming matches.