David Prutton feels Sam Allardyce has ‘obviously’ not seen enough to trust Georginio Rutter at Leeds United. The Whites hero also questions what the striker has to offer.
The Elland Road club spent big in the January transfer window to lure Rutter to England for Jesse Marsch. Leeds paid TSG Hoffenheim a club-record £36m for the 21-year-old, despite the Frenchman not having a prolific record. Marsch had made landing a striker his top aim.
Rutter left the Rhein-Neckar-Arena with just two goals in 17 fixtures across all competitions this season. He had also only offered Die Kraichgauer 11 goals in 64 outings after his arrival from Stade Rennais in February 2021. While Leeds are still yet to see Rutter offer any goals.
Rutter has not played a single second under Allardyce at Leeds
Leeds supporters have not seen Rutter on the pitch since April 17, either. He has spent the past six Premier League games on the bench having failed to score through 10 outings with the West Yorkshire natives. While his appearances for the club also only total 234 minutes.
Rutter also featured twice in the FA Cup for a further 139 goalless minutes. But despite him being the answer to Marsch’s search, the American only played Rutter twice for 99 minutes across all competitions before getting sacked. He would play seven times under Javi Gracia.
Yet even Gracia lost faith in Rutter toward the end of the Spaniard’s run as Leeds’ manager. The forward watched Gracia’s final three fixtures in charge from the bench. Allardyce is yet to afford Rutter a single second on the field since stepping in as Leeds’ head coach in May.
What has Prutton said about Rutter at Elland Road now?
Allardyce ignoring Rutter last time out at West Ham United, despite losing Patrick Bamford to an injury and Rodrigo playing on with an issue, has also now raised doubts in Prutton’s mind over if the Leeds gaffer rates the forward. Rutter has not convinced the Whites hero, either.
“I don’t really know what Georginio Rutter is,” Prutton wrote in a column for the Yorkshire Evening Post. “I am sure there is potential [in Rutter]. But you can’t trade in potential when the absolute here-and-now of being in the Premier League is the most vital thing.
“Rutter stayed on the bench at West Ham despite Patrick Bamford going off injured and Rodrigo playing on through a foot problem. So, Sam has obviously not seen enough from Rutter to be able to trust him on the field of play.
“It’s a manager’s prerogative to pick whoever he wants. You have to consider whether Rutter has been given enough of a chance. But also, have we seen enough of him from when he has been on to suggest that he is the answer? I would say no to both.”
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