Stuart Dallas needed to make the most of the international break to make a point to Leeds United boss Thomas Christiansen.
One of the major frustrations for Leeds fans coming out of their defeat to Brentford in their final Championship game before the international break was the absence of Stuart Dallas throughout the game.
At Griffin Park, Thomas Christiansen’s decision to throw on Jay-Roy Grot rather than Dallas was extremely questionable, and it certainly was not vindicated as the forward made little impact and Leeds’ second-half momentum was curtailed around that stage in the game as Brentford scored twice in the final 10 minutes to secure a thoroughly-deserved victory.
It has been a frustrating season for Dallas, having started in just two of his 12 Championship appearances. So he would have known that the international break would be a perfect time to send a message to Christiansen ahead of Leeds’ return to action against Middlesbrough next weekend.
And while it was an agonising break for Northern Ireland – as they were denied a place in next year’s World Cup after losing a controversial tie with Switzerland 1-0 on aggregate – Dallas surely made the most of his opportunity with his performances.
The 26-year-old was excellent in both legs, looking lively and often giving a player of Stephan Lichtsteiner’s calibre a torrid time on the flank.
Dallas provided the excitement and some of the creativity that seemed to give Michael O’Neill’s men a real chance of overturning the deficit from the first-leg.
And with Leeds going into the break off the back of a terrible run of form, Christiansen would be foolish not to give Dallas a chance to replicate that exciting display for his club side when Garry Monk’s men visit Elland Road on Saturday.
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