Sometimes the highlights of a game really don’t paint the full picture.
Anyone who watched Jonathan Leko fire ruthlessly high into the Swansea City net during Wednesday’s Championship clash with Charlton Athletic might have assumed that the West Brom loanee was impressive throughout at The Valley.
But, apart from the goal, fizzed past Freddie Woodman in just the second minute, Lee Bowyer’s decision to field Leko in a more advanced role alongside Macauley Bonne didn’t really work beyond the first 180 seconds in South London.
West Brom loaned out one of their most exciting academy graduates in recent years because they felt, despite all his potential, that he still had a lot to learn. And it seems that the Charlton fans agree.
The 20-year-old has pace to burn and the ability to turn full-backs inside out but he remains a very raw talent with more than a few rough edges. Leko failed to build on his opening goal against Swansea and so did Charlton, going down 2-1 as the visitors fought back and claimed a vital win.
The season is still young, however, and Leko will still have plenty of chances to prove that there’s more to him than the odd moment of quality.
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