The Leeds United defender made an error for Ipswich Town’s goal this weekend but he is still one of the Whites’ unsung heroes.
All footballers make mistakes, but the regularity of those moments determines their importance to a team.
When it comes to Leeds United’s Luke Ayling, the right-back was at fault for Ipswich Town’s early strike on Saturday; a mistake that came soon after another error in the defeat to Cardiff City.
However, one should not underestimate the importance of Ayling to this Leeds side as they continue their push for promotion.
| Interceptions Won | Duels Won | Aerials Won | Ball Recoveries | Dispossessed | Effective Clearances | Effective Headed Clearances | Tackles Won | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Ayling | 1 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 90 |
His moment of poor positioning aside, the summer signing won more duels (10) than any other Leeds player on the day, while he recovered the ball on seven occasions and made 10 effective clearances in total.
Ayling may have been at fault for a couple of recent goals but the positives far outweigh the negatives in his first season at Elland Road.
When Charlie Taylor returns from injury, Leeds boss Garry Monk will have a big decision to make, either dropping Gaetano Berardi or moving him to his more natural position, demoting Ayling in the process.
But whatever happens, one very good player will be left fighting for his spot and the former Bristol City man will not want it to be him.
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