TalkSport presenter Jeff Stelling has identified two major concerns after Leeds United suffered another Premier League defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Daniel Farke was at a loss after his side failed to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League for a seventh game, as they fell to a 3-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Lukas Nmecha gave Leeds reason to believe when he fired Leeds ahead early on in the first half, but that lead lasted just two minutes, as Lucas Perri parried into the path of Ibrahim Sangare to equalise.
The Leeds boss then cut a frustrated figure as Leeds were unable to force their way back into the game, with Mark Clattenburg admitting they were unlucky to be penalised for a free-kick in the build-up to Forest’s second goal.
Fellow summer signing Jaka Bijol was also criticised for his performance at the City Ground, as Leeds conceded three goals in an away game for the third time this season. Leeds’ summer recruitment was one of the two concerns Stelling identified in a scathing assessment of the defeat.
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Jeff Stelling has two major concerns for Leeds United
Speaking on TalkSport on the morning of 10th November, Stelling addressed his concerns over Leeds’ capitulation against Nottingham Forest.
According to Stelling, he has two major concerns over Farke’s side, with several of their new recruits struggling to make an impression at the City Ground.
Stelling said: “I got lots of messages from Leeds fans saying look at the number of players we’ve signed, and I said yeah, it’s not about quantity, it’s about quality. I’m not sure if some of the recruitment has been great.
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He went on to address his other concern, which is Leeds’ upcoming fixtures, as he continued: “And look at the fixtures to come.
“The next four. Aston Villa at home, Man City away, Chelsea at home, Liverpool at home. I mean, big, big, big games.
“We shall see. You know, they’ve still got their head above water. It’s their away form that’s the big issue.”
Lucas Perri in action during Nottingham Forest v Leeds United - Premier League
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Leeds United’s summer signings called into question
Jon Newsome questioned whether Leeds had “wasted funds” on Lucas Perri at full-time of the game against Forest, and his performance was questionable at the City Ground.
However, with Farke bemoaning Leeds’ inability to add another forward as the transfer deadline drew to a close, questions have to be asked about their defensive signings.
Fees paid for Leeds’ defensive signings:
Lucas Perri – initial fee of £13.9 million rising to £15.6 million
Jaka Bijol – £15 million
Gabriel Gudmundsson – £10.3 million
James Justin – initial fee of £8 million rising to £10 million
Sebastiaan Bornauw – £5.1 million
Total initial spend: £52.3 million
Perri has looked shaky in his appearances to date, and there are questions as to whether Bijol is a genuine improvement on Pascal Struijk. Leeds also spent an initial £8 million to sign James Justin from Leicester City.
With Sebastiaan Bornauw yet to appear in the Premier League, Leeds have four players in their squad who cost the 49ers just under a combined £52 million, and are yet to convince the fans that they are genuine Premier League quality.
The only defensive signing who has genuinely convinced this season is Gabriel Gudmundsson. If Leeds continue to struggle, the 49ers will have questions to answer, alongside Farke.