OPINION
It’s hard to drop your star player.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane has looked absolutely knackered this season but how can Mauricio Pochettino countenance a line-up without him in?
You could say the same for Leeds and Samu Saiz.
On his day he’s a player with quality way beyond the Championship. He’s fast, tricky, creative and he can turn a game with a single pass.
However, he’s not on it at the moment and hasn’t been for the past few games. In the game against Ipswich, which Leeds won 2-0 to go back to the top of the league, Saiz was a passenger.
The rarely-seen Adam Forshaw was brilliant by way of contrast. He came on in the 57th minute last night, replacing Saiz, and it’s time for Marcelo Bielsa to make the change for the game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Dropping Saiz might seem like madness. And changing his line-up for tactical reasons after a first league win since Hull on October 2 might seem anti-Bielsa, but it would benefit the team massively.
It’s not just us. Phil Hay, senior reporter from the Yorkshire Evening Post, has said the same thing, claiming that “It does feel like he [Saiz] could do with a bit of downtime”.
Forshaw looked very good in an advanced role last night. Conflicted with Saiz. It does feel like he could do with a bit of downtime.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) October 25, 2018
And he’s right. Sticking with the same group of players is an admirable trait and how can you argue with someone like Bielsa?
But Saiz obviously needs a rest or shaking up and dropping him for the next game is the best and quickest way to do that.