Leeds United lost 1-0 to Reading this weekend with a late face from the past doing the damage.
It was clear by half time in Leeds United’s match against Reading that Stuart Dallas should be on the field, and yet it was not until the 89th, with the Whites 1-0 down and no time for the winger to make an impact, that he was finally called on.
Dallas’s late arrival was nothing more than a token gesture from Leeds manager Thomas Christiansen; a decision that could have been game-changing if it had been made earlier.
Instead, with Leeds struggling and only the usual suspect (Samu Saiz) showing any spark prior to Hadi Sacko’s second-half arrival, it was an under-pressure Reading side that snatched a late win, condemning the Whites to their third straight defeat and heaping the pressure on Thomas Christiansen in the process.
Dallas has the talent and the fight to help Leeds through this tough spell, and yet he got only 19 minutes against Sheffield Wednesday and far less against the Royals.
Overlooking the Northern Ireland international is not the only mistake Christiansen has made in recent weeks, but it is too common to be anything other than foolish.
By now, the Leeds boss must realise which players are not performing and which deserve a chance, and yet the same old team selections happen week after week.
Dallas has the right to feel aggrieved, while Leeds fans wonder when the penny will finally drop for their manager.
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