Championship outfit Leeds United handed Paudie O’Connor his Championship debut in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland at Elland Road.
With Liam Cooper injured and Matthew Pennington’s chances of a permanent move from Everton hanging in the balance, it seemed that Leeds United would have to sign a centre-back this summer.
That was until Paudie O’Connor made his first-team debut in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon. And, if you consider social media a good indicator of a player’s performance, you would discover that the 20-year-old Irishman more than held his own.
O’Connor earned plenty of praise from fans and pundits alike for an impressive and mature performance at the heart of the defence, albeit in a game where a struggling Sunderland side created a worrying amount of presentable chances.
In fact, he looked far more solid than Pennington, who has hardly impressed since Thomas Christiansen was replaced in the dugout by Paul Heckingbottom in February. The supporters have made it clear that they are not keen on the idea of the 23-year-old sticking around with Leeds having conceded 14 goals in the seven games Pennington has started under the former Barnsley boss.
But if O’Connor can follow in the footsteps of goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell and secure his place in Leeds’ starting XI between now and the end of the season, he will surely negate the demand for Leeds to go into the transfer market and attempt to throw money at the problem.
With many of Victor Orta’s signings missing the mark, it is far from certain that he can provide the man Leeds need.
Leeds could do with a left-back, a goalkeeper and at least one striker in the summer. If O’Connor impresses, that will make life a little easier.
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