Micah Richards has been speaking on Saturday’s Match of the Day to discuss the performance of Leeds United defender Junior Firpo on the weekend.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men were able to earn themselves a point on Saturday down on the south coast, however, it was apparent Firpo did not impress with his performance.
Is Firpo good enough for Leeds?
Yes
No
Despite being able to hold Graham Potter’s Brighton & Hove Albion to a blank in front of goal, the left-back endured a tricky half of football against Tariq Lamptey.
The 25-year-old had such a difficult 45 minutes of defending against the English right-back, Bielsa was forced into taking the Dominican off at the break.
Having only signed for the Whites in the summer from La Liga giants Barcelona, Richards had the following to say on Firpo’s difficult evening on the south coast against Lamptey.
“Firpo had an absolute disaster against him.
“I always measure a player by what they do when they get in them [attacking] areas, and he [Lamptey] always got that composure, making the run in behind again, Firpo didn’t know what day it was. He didn’t know what he’d come up against.”
TIF Thoughts on Firpo’s start at Leeds…
The game at the weekend was certainly a difficult one for Firpo, while his time at Leeds has been slightly turbulent after holding a regular spot in Bielsa’s XI in the early stages of the season (via Transfermarkt).
However, we feel it is essential to remember the defender has only made eight appearances in the Premier League and he should be given time to adapt to his new life in England before writing him off at Leeds.
Having made 41 appearances for a club like Barcelona, that would suggest there is a player in him, but we are interested to see how his form may change when Leeds are back to full fitness and there may be less emphasis on their defence, with Patrick Bamford still out as the Whites struggle in front of goal.
In other news: ‘That will destroy Leeds’ – Lots of LUFC fans furious as ‘joke’ claim emerges