Garry Monk may have acted a little hastily freezing out Toumani Diagouraga at Leeds United – especially since he impressed at Ipswich Town.
It is fair to say that Toumani Diagouraga could claim to be one of the major casualties of the constant upheaval at Leeds United.
Brought in amid much fanfare from Brentford by Steve Evans in January last year, the French midfielder found himself out of favour within just a few months as madcap owner Massimo Cellino swung the axe and brought in Garry Monk instead.
After starting the 3-0 opening day defeat to Queens Park Rangers, Diagouraga was never seen again in a Leeds United shirt. And, when he was shipped off on loan to Ipswich Town in January, it appeared that Elland Road had seen the last of the rangy enforcer.
Though perhaps not. With Ipswich’s budget limiting them to free transfers and loan deals, manager Mick McCarthy suggests it is unlikely the Championship ever-presents will be able to secure the 29-year-old on a permanent deal – regardless of his stand-out performances at Portman Road.
“I’ve got to be careful what I do because of the size of the squad and the budget I’m going to have – and I’m not quite certain on that yet,” McCarthy, who admits he has been impressed by Diagouraga’s eye for a pass, said in quotes reported by the East Anglian Daily Times.
However, though Monk was quick to pass judgement on Diagouraga almost as soon as he arrived at Elland Road, this could give him the opportunity to rectify a decision that a number of Leeds fans didn’t exactly agree with.
Many felt that Diagouraga was not given a fair crack of the whip at Elland Road. And his ability to break the lines with piercing passes, plus control possession from deep midfield, means his extensive skill-set could come in handy in a Leeds midfield filled with far more limited players.
Whether Monk is willing to hand Diagouraga a second chance, however, remains to be seen.
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