This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Journalist Phil Hay has provided an update on the strange situation surrounding Adam Forshaw at Leeds.
The midfielder has been out injured since the early months of the season and hasn’t been seen since.
What’s he said?
Forshaw suffered an initial hip problem following a defeat against Swansea in August.
The Whites lost that encounter 1-0 before he missed the next ten days of action. Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that he sat out the match with Barnsley because of a reoccurrence of the problem but he did return to play 45 minutes against Charlton in late September.
He was introduced as a substitute on his return to action but since then, he’s been out of the side through a niggle which the manager described hasn’t been easy to heal.
With little to suggest he’s ready to return as the festive fixtures gather pace, Hay has provided an update on the current situation.
Speaking in his Q&A for the Athletic after Leeds drew 3-3 with Cardiff, he said:
“It’s been a strange injury. At first, Bielsa expected him to be back for Derby at home in September. He was out training on his own while the Under-23s were playing on Monday. He’s really not far away but just can’t quite get over the niggle.”
Missing his safety
Forshaw is an understated player, one that very much goes under the radar.
He’s the type of footballer that goes about his business in a quiet fashion and for that reason, you don’t know what you’re missing until he’s gone.
A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?
Leeds fans have expressed their concerns with the 28-year-old in recent weeks, so much so that many have demanded his sale.
Yet, the fact of the matter is that a host of players already at Bielsa’s disposal fail to offer the safety net that the former Middlesbrough man does.
Forshaw may not score on a regular basis but his pass success rate of 89.7% isn’t bettered by anyone to start a game for Leeds in 2019/20.
His ability to keep things ticking over was a valuable asset in the early weeks of the campaign and since Jamie Shackleton has also been kept on the sidelines, Bielsa has had to pick more attacking players like Mateusz Klich, Pablo Hernandez and Tyler Roberts in those positions.
In the final half an hour against Cardiff, they could have done with a calming influence like him as they collapsed and conceded three goals.
In other news, Leeds fans have laid the blame at one man for dropping points on Saturday…
