Danny or Diouf to depart?
Wednesday, 29th Aug 2012 00:31

Interestingly Danny Pugh was a notable absentee from Tuesday nights 3-0 win over Oxford and did Warnock's post-match comments shed any light on what may become of El Hadji Diouf?

Danny Pugh's absence from the Leeds squad for the League Cup tie over Oxford has fuelled rumours that an Elland Road exit may well be nigh for the former Manchester United youth player.

With NW going all "experimental" on us, you would have thought a player of Pugh's experience and versatility would have at least made the bench but he was nowhere to be seen.

This has inevitably fuelled rumours that Pugh could be set to leave before Friday's 23:00 transfer window deadline. Naturally if there was a good possibility Warnock could get Pugh and Ramon Nunez off his rock-bottom ER budget then why expose them to injury risk?

Neil Warnock made Pugh available for transfer on August 9th when it was reported the "exclusivity period" granted to Leeds' potential new investors from the middle-east had expired. Since then, Leeds have lost midfielder Paul Green to injury and Warnock appeared to suggest that Pugh might be back in favour.

Diouf meanwhile put in a solid performance in the 3-0 win over Oxford, having a hand in two of the three goals and nearly making the scoresheet himself. I thought Warnock's comments on Yorkshire Radio post match about "there must be something wrong with him" when Warnock emphasised the positive reaction he had got from the crowd was revealing.

Diouf was the appointed corner taker and received a tremendous ovation from the Kop End of the ground who just six months earlier had been urging then Leeds defender Alex Bruce to "knock him out" as well as obscene ditties about his wife and his haircut when he played here for Doncaster.

Money is not the issue with Diouf, so we are told. I can only now assume, at the age of 31, he is seeking some kind of assurance he will be a regular starter for Warnock's Leeds which I doubt is forthcoming.

On the other hand, with the squad the size it is, Diouf surely cannot rule out he will not be a regular feature in the Leeds side?

Oh well, if he does decide to move on for footballing reasons one of Warnock's old charges Joey Barton is desperately seeking a new club!

Photo: Action Images

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