The Leeds United winger had to make do with another appearance from the bench but he should have started.
Leeds United had started the new Championship campaign in blistering form, surging to the top of the table with some free-scoring performances, so it was telling that in their first defeat of the season – a 1-0 loss to Millwall – the Whites managed just one (off-target) goal attempt.
It is a shocking statistic and proves both how resilient Millwall were and how lacklustre Leeds’ previously all-conquering forward line had been rendered.
Whites boss Thomas Christiansen stuck with the attacking players that had got them to the top of the pile, but against the Lions they struggled and, in hindsight, this was exactly the kind of match where Stuart Dallas could have flourished.
Indeed when the Northern Ireland international came off the bench for the second half, he was one of the few bright sparks for Leeds, so why on earth was he overlooked at exactly the time when Leeds should have been making some changes to their starting XI?
Not every match can be treated the same way, and Leeds needed more steel with the likes of Dallas and Gaetano Berardi coming in to fight a Millwall side who were not going to give an inch.
So it proved, and when you consider Dallas has been pushing for a starting spot with goals off the bench against both Sunderland and Birmingham City, he should feel aggrieved that he was overlooked when a grittier approach was required to keep Leeds’ winning streak alive.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
