Pontus Jansson will return to familiar surroundings this week, with the former Leeds United defender coming back to Elland Road.
While the large majority of Leeds supporters back Marcelo Bielsa’s judgement of Pontus Jansson and the club’s decision to sanction his surprise exit this summer, there seems to be a slight concern that the sale to Championship rivals Brentford could come back to haunt the Whites as the season goes on.
Leeds had already brought Ben White in on loan before Jansson’s departure. But they made no further defensive additions before the window shut, and now appear to be relying on the side avoiding the kind of injury crisis that plagued Bielsa’s squad last season.
What has made the decision to sell Jansson easier to accept however, has been the form that White has showed since coming in from Brighton. Previously untested at Championship level, White has looked a class act and already appears to be forming a very good partnership with Liam Cooper.
Leeds have conceded just one goal from open play so far this season, and White made a genuine case to be named man of the match on his United debut as Bielsa’s men won 3-1 away at Bristol City.
The youngster is already becoming an incredibly popular figure amongst the Leeds fans, who were largely left scratching their heads just over a month ago when it was confirmed that Brentford would be the club that Jansson would be heading to.
And with Thomas Frank’s men set to be the next team Leeds take on, White appears to have a golden opportunity to ensure that his popularity reaches a new level imminently.
Leeds fans will not be surprised if Jansson produces an outstanding performance on Wednesday when the two teams meet. While it would be disappointing if he received a poor reception from the supporters, he will feel that he has a point to prove and there may be additional motivation for the centre-back to help his new side take home the three points.
They may not engage in many personal battles – apart from when set-pieces are taken perhaps – but if White can outshine Jansson, the decision to sell the latter will be vindicated that little bit more.
It would be difficult to definitively decide whether Leeds made the right decision to let Jansson go or not before the season has concluded. For now however, White is doing a brilliant job of stepping up in the wake of his departure, and there is no doubt that his stock will rise considerably if he is the centre-back that spectators are raving about after Wednesday’s game.
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