Leeds are waiting for the results of a scan on the shoulder Rodrigo dislocated during last night's feisty game with Everton, but it’s feared that he could be out for several weeks. So once again our lack of options up front have been exposed, and we have until 11pm tomorrow night to bring in reinforcements.
In the post-match press conference Jesse Marsch was asked whether Patrick Bamford would be able to start at Brentford if Rodrigo doesn’t make it, he said "I think he's in good shape. He feels good. So I think him starting on Saturday is a serious possibility. And then I think Joffy played well, so we can consider that as well.”
But this will still leave the squad looking wafer-thin in the striking department, so it’s no surprise that the transfer rumour mill is in full swing, with the window about to slam shut. The Daily Mail is linking us with Rangers’ Ryan Kent, but the same paper also says that Marsch has confirmed that Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan has been a target for Leeds all summer.
And another name in the frame is highly-rated PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo, at least according to the Athletic’s David Ornstein. The 23-year-old can play in a number of positions across the front and to date has scored 33 goals in his 96 appearances for PSV, as well as earning 7 caps for the Dutch national side, but Southampton are also after his signature.
Leeds could well have taken all three points last night had we had a bit more firepower, but although we had most of the possession we weren’t able to make it count, and instead allowed ourselves to get frustrated by Everton’s niggly fouls and timewasting. Though no doubt the visitors will claim that they produced a perfect away performance, and that a draw was a fair result.
Everton have their own issues in the striking department with the departure of Richarlison and the injury to Calvert-Lewin, though I had to laugh at fat Frank’s complaints about the Premier League’s failure to register the signing of Maupay in time for this game. During the second half of last season Maupay couldn’t hit a cow’s bottom with a banjo, so we’re the ones who should have been complaining that he wasn’t playing!
But Everton still have Anthony Gordon, who is alleged to be worth £60m, and he gave them the lead against the run of play by slotting the ball through Meslier’s legs after Llorente made a hash of cutting out Iwobi’s through ball. The toffees need to keep hold of Gordon to take Richarlison’s place as their most irritating player, with his needless gesture to the Kop after scoring and the scuffle he caused in the second half by barging into Kristensen.
Rodrig sustained his injury shortly afterwards, while he was muscled off the ball from Pickford as he tried to round off one of our most promising breaks. Gelhardt came on and produced his usual lively performance as Leeds upped the pace in the second half, shooting narrowly wide in the second half and then jinking into position for a close range shot that Pickford did very well to keep out.
So it was a bit of a surprise to me that he was the one taken off for Bamford to get a run out for the last 15 minutes. Marsch later explained that this was to maintain the same shape of the team, but surely if we needed a bit more energy for the closing stages we needed to leave the player who hadn’t played the whole game on the field. We could have gone with two up front or allowed Joffy to make his runs from a slightly deeper position.
At least by then we had the equaliser, as Sinisterra cut inside and fired powerfully just inside the near post with Pickford unsighted. He’s definitely going to be this season’s Raphinha once he gets fully fit. The England keeper had to make further saves from Aaronson and Klich, but we didn’t have enough firepower to force a winner late in the game.
And Everton had chances of their own to pinch the points. Gray had the ball in the net but was offside by the narrowest of margins, with the decision upheld after an anxious wait for the VAR check. Kristensen had to race back to make a goal-line clearance from Onana, and in the closing stages Meslier made an excellent save to deny Patterson.
So a draw it was, and although it’s frustrating not to have beaten a team who have yet to register their first win of the season, most of us will be happy with our start to the season overall, sixth in the table after tonight’s matches. Now, if we can just sign another striker for the harder games to come…