Dougie Critchley has been speaking on the Football Daily YouTube channel about how he believes Daniel James will start to come good for Leeds United.
The Whites have been experiencing a rather tough time of things lately both on and off the pitch, as they were most recently humbled 7-0 by Manchester City and are also having to cope with several key players spending time on the sidelines.
Will Leeds be relegated?
Yes!
No!
When Marcelo Bielsa managed to land a long-term transfer target in James for £26 million, some may have thought this was a key part in Leeds building on last season’s ninth-place finish, however, James has failed to show why so much money was spent on him, with the winger returning just one goal in the league.
Despite this, Critchley believes that it’s not all down to James and that he will soon start performing.
“From wide, he completes twice as many dribbles as he does centrally, and he creates more chances, too. But surprisingly, his shooting numbers are also better, with more attempts on goal and more from inside the box when playing off the wing – perhaps because he can use his speed to get separation in the wide areas, but lacks the guard to evade centre-halves when he features up front.
“He may not be as skilful as the average Bielsa player, but the Welshman’s athleticism could be a lethal weapon if employed correctly. As the squad returns to full fitness, expect him to return to the wing and the stats to take a turn for the better.”
TIF Thoughts on Dan James…
It was certainly a lot of money for Leeds to shell out on deadline day, especially when they already had two first-choice wingers in Raphinha and Jack Harrison, so unless they are planning ahead for when one of them departs, it seems a slightly bizarre move.
James has been deployed in several different roles since his move to Elland Road and this will have hampered his ability to get into a good rhythm in one position and to learn what Bielsa desires from him, so potentially, as Critchley claimed, when others return around him, we could see the James that convinced Leeds to sign him earlier this year.
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