OPINION
Leeds United needed a late equaliser from Kemar Roofe to secure a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday in a result which leaves them in second in the Championship table.
One of the big calls made before the game by manager Marcelo Bielsa was to drop creative livewire Samu Saiz, with Adam Forshaw handed his first league start of the season in his place.
And it was Forshaw who ended up running the show for Leeds in midfield as the 27-year-old made a good account of himself after being handed a rare chance to shine from the opening whistle for the Whites.
The former Middlesbrough midfielder looked on top form all day long as he dictated play for Bielsa’s side, with everything going through him.
Mainstay Saiz did end up getting a 25-minute cameo in place of Kalvin Phillips against Forest, but the Spaniard failed to impress during that time.
While he is widely accepted to be one of Leeds’ most exciting players, the fact is that Saiz has not quite delivered on the scale necessary for a player of his skill level.
Forshaw, while not being as creative as the 5ft 8in Spaniard [Transfermarkt], looks like he offers Bielsa a better option at the moment in that advanced midfield position alongside Mateusz Klich.
There will obviously be worries about a lack of guile, but that can come from Pablo Hernandez and Ezgjan Alioski in the wide areas.
One thing that is clear is that Saiz now needs to up his game if he wants to guarantee his spot in this Leeds starting XI, with Forshaw now breathing down his neck for that place after Saturday’s stormer.
If the Spaniard does not pull his finger out then he will no doubt find himself on the bench more regularly, with Bielsa not afraid to make those kind of big calls in his quest for promotion.