Departing midfielder Lewis Baker was one of the physically fittest players among the Leeds United squad but his lack of impact is the reason behind his exit from the club, according to journalist Phil Hay.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reporter, one of the most revered writers covering things at Elland Road, made the fascinating revelation about the 23-year-old on his personal Twitter account, having previously reported that he had left the club to return to Chelsea, although there has still been no official confirmation.
Lewis Baker has gone back to Chelsea. Deal at Leeds is over. Expectation is that he’ll be loaned out quickly to another Championship club. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) January 9, 2019
in terms of physique/body fat, he was one of the most in-shape players in the squad at Leeds but he was constantly ineffectual and it was telling that Bielsa rarely went for him off the bench in games where Leeds needed goals.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) January 9, 2019
Hay states that in terms of his physical attributes, such as his body fat levels, he was among the most in-shape talents at the club, but leaves with just one assist in his 13 appearances.
Opinion
It is no secret that manager Marcelo Bielsa wanted a number of the Leeds squad to trim some fat and get into better shape, so it should come as a surprise that Baker failed to make the grade at Elland Road. However, his on-field performances were lacking in the quality expected and there will no doubt be questions asked over why he failed to make the desired impact. Could it be that he was lacking in match fitness due to his lack of game time for the first team? In that case, could his failure to impress be down to Bielsa’s decision to only hand him two starts in the Championship, with fleeting substitute appearances here and there? No blame should be thrown the manager’s way – it is up to the player to impress enough to earn their place in the side – but there should still be some queries as to why he was a flop and how to make sure it does not happen again.