Leeds United forward Tyler Roberts may well be sweating over his future as Brennan Johnson is linked with a move to the club.
With the Jesse Marsch era now well and truly underway in West Yorkshire, many Leeds players will no doubt be doing their best to impress the new manager.
However, after picking up a season-ending injury, Roberts will have to watch on from the sidelines.
He may be doing that rather nervously, too, as the Whites have been linked with a move for another attacking player who could take his spot in the squad.
Indeed, journalist Pete O’Rourke recently told GiveMeSport that Nottingham Forest winger Johnson has been on the club’s radar for some time now.
He said: “I know Leeds scouts have been watching Johnson for a while, so I’m sure they might be thinking he could be a good addition to the team.”
With that in mind, TIF has looked at how it could all play out.
Roberts woes
Sadly for Roberts, in his two Premier League campaigns with Leeds, he failed to make himself a regular starter in the Marcelo Bielsa setup. Indeed, he often had to settle for a role off the bench, and with only two goals across those seasons, it’s easy to understand why.
Meanwhile, under Marsch, he hasn’t yet had the chance to improve that underwhelming form. Indeed, his season-ending hamstring injury occurred just 14 minutes into his first display for the American.
Before that, though, he’d also come in for some heavy criticism from pundits and fans alike for his performances, with Paul Robinson telling MOT Leeds News that Roberts is ‘nowhere near the level you’d want him to be at’, while his efforts in a loss against Newcastle United earlier this term saw many supporters lose their cool with the 23-year-old.
Johnson compared
When comparing the players, via FBREF, it’s clear to see that Johnson has brought a lot more to the table this season for his club.
Indeed, the younger man has scored 15 goals and eight assists at domestic level this term – which is streets ahead of Roberts’ tally of one goal and one assist.
On top of that, he is more accurate with his shooting (albeit from fewer attempts), while he puts in nearly twice as many crosses per game.
In Roberts’ favour, he does win more fouls per match and helps with defensive aspects of the game with great tackling and interception stats.
Even so, with both men lining up in the forward line, their key duty is surely to help with the attack – something that Johnson has clearly been better at this season, even if at a lower level.
Will Tyler Roberts get a chance under Jesse Marsch?
Yes
No
TIF Verdict…
Due to his injury, Roberts won’t play again this season. For that reason, he may also never play for Leeds again. After all, there is plenty of talk already about how he could be set for an exit this summer.
If Johnson does arrive, he will provide even more competition for the 23-year-old, who struggles to get into the Whites’ team as it is. And so, all in all, things don’t look too great for Roberts right now.
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