The Leeds United duo failed to make any sort of an impression against Fulham – at least not for a positive reason.
Leeds United did not sign Hadi Sacko on loan for Sporting Lisbon based on an ability to reliably and sensibly recycle possession. The winger is intended to take on opponents, create chances and generally wreak havoc in the final third.
Yet, that should not excuse the fact that, in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage, Sacko mustered a pass completion rate of just 57 per cent. Just for the record, 27 of the 28 other players to take to the pitch for the midweek clash recorded superior tallies – only Rob Green, Leeds’ goalkeeper, managed to misplace fewer balls.
In effect, Tuesday night was the typical Hadi Sacko performance. Plenty of running, plenty of dribbling but a complete lack of end product. The 22-year-old managed just one (inaccurate) cross in his hour on the pitch and another vexing display has only served to convince a number of Leeds’ supporters that he is essentially robbing a place in the team.
He was overshadowed by the impressive Alfonso Pedraza while even Kemar Roofe, who is yet to full win over the fans, offered a more useful attacking threat.
The problem, however, is that Mo Barrow, who replaced Sacko midway through the second half, didn’t do much better. In fact, with Leeds on the verge of a crucial victory, it was the on-loan winger’s baffling lack of game management which gifted the ball, and the equaliser, to the hosts when he should have simply run down the clock.
| Accurate Passes | Touches | Possession Lost | Total Crosses | Accurate Crosses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hadi Sacko | 8 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Modou Barrow | 3 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
And to think, Leeds fans had hoped that Barrow would represent an upgrade on the increasingly infuriating Sacko.
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