Noel Whelan has claimed that Leeds United striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga is looking slightly overweight and that he may need to lose some pounds.
The 25-year-old German has made a great start at Elland Road since his arrival on a season-long loan and has replaced Chris Wood to spearhead the attack.
He is a powerful centre-forward that loves a physical battle and has adjusted well to the competitive nature of the Championship during his first taste of English football.
Lasogga helped Leeds picked up an impressive 3-0 win over Bristol City on Sunday as he netted his fourth goal of the season, while playmaker Samuel Saiz picked up a brace.
Former Leeds player Whelan has suggested that the target man may need to lose some weight to prevent him getting fatigued in the latter stages of the game.
“I think that’s tiredness creeping in [late in the game],” Whelan told BBC Radio Leeds. “He (Lasogga) is a big lad, he still needs to lose a little bit of that if he can and lighten himself up and be a little bit more mobile, but maybe that is not his game.
OPINION
Lasogga is a traditional centre-forward and his big physical presence is part of what makes him so effective, so losing a few pounds could work against him. He does not have much competition right now in the starting XI and it would be good to see Jay-Roy Grot apply more pressure for a position in the side. The forward delivered a stunning display against Bristol City and Whelan did acknowledge that in his post-match reaction, but did come up with a suggestion to make him even better. It was a surprise to see Lasogga to make the step down to England’s second-tier and so far he has been a major success.
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