Leeds United rounded off their pre-season preparations over the weekend. The Whites managed to thrash Bundesliga side Augsburg, ensuring they enter the new campaign with plenty of momentum.
It’s early days, but all of Leeds’ new signings have impressed in pre-season. Especially Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford.
Muharemovic got himself on the scoresheet with a spectacular overhead kick against Augsburg, whilst in the game and a half we have seen from Trafford in a Leeds shirt, he has made a couple of good saves whilst looking tremendously composed with the ball at his feet.
These performances, as well as something else that happened to Manchester City over the weekend, will surely leave them questioning their decision to sell Trafford.
Manchester City thumped by Arsenal in Community Shield – Gianluigi Donnarumma puts in a shocking display
Elsewhere over the weekend, Premier League champions Arsenal took on the reigning FA Cup holders Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Arsenal laid down a marker ahead of the new season. They thrashed Man City 3-0 to get their hands on the first bit of silverware available for the campaign.
But any Leeds fan who tuned into the game will surely have noticed the disastrous display from Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal for Man City.
The 27-year-old was brought in from PSG last summer and ultimately ended up displacing Trafford from the team.
However, against Arsenal, the Italian international was shocking. Donnarumma went to ground far too early for two of the goals, allowing Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard to essentially roll the ball into an empty goal.
Donnarumma arguably could’ve saved Kai Havertz’s header as well. So there were question marks over Donnarumma for all three of Arsenal’s goals in what was a terrible goalkeeping performance.
So with Trafford looking so impressive already and Donnarumma starting the season poorly, perhaps they will already be regretting the decision to let Trafford move to West Yorkshire.
James Trafford should stay in the team for our first cup game
Every Leeds supporter is counting down the days until we kick off our Premier League campaign against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Undoubtedly, Trafford will start that game away at the City Ground.
However, the following Tuesday, we return to the City Ground to face Forest again in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
As Trafford did not have the longest pre-season with us because of his holiday following the World Cup, as well as waiting for his £40million move to be completed, I think it would be wise of Daniel Farke to play Trafford in that Carabao Cup game as the ‘keeper continues to build his match sharpness.
If not for the full game, at least for a half, perhaps.
United have yet to sign a backup ‘keeper, and playing Alex Cairns for the entirety of that cup game would be a waste of time.
We need Trafford to be at 100% sooner rather than later. Getting that extra game time in the cup will only ensure one of our most important players shakes off any rust from the summer quicker.
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