Good Morning. It's Tuesday 30th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Unconfirmed reports that Dan James' season is over Unconfirmed reports emerged yesterday that Wales international Dan James may have suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury in training, which if true, could prematurely end his season. While the club has yet to release an official statement, the early suggestions are grim; such an injury would almost certainly rule James out for the remainder of the campaign, a cruel blow before it has truly begun. For a player who contributed 12 goals and nine assists in just 2,600 minutes last season, expectations were understandably high. Supporters hoped James could finally translate his raw pace and work rate into consistent Premier League performances. However, his step up to the top flight has proven far from seamless. With only 216 minutes on the pitch so far this season, statistical outlet WhoScored has handed him an underwhelming average rating of 6.05, ranking him a lowly 18th out of 21 in Leeds’ squad. For a player entering what should be his prime years at 27, the sharp contrast between Championship productivity and Premier League struggles has been difficult to ignore. Should his injury fears be confirmed, both Leeds and James face a long road ahead. For the club, it means losing a player with genuine attacking threat and depth at a time when every fixture is pivotal. For James, it represents a cruel interruption in a career that seemed poised to take the next step. The coming days will provide clarity, but for now, Leeds fans can only wait anxiously for confirmation. please log in to view this image Longstaff - most inspired pieces of business in recent years Sean Longstaff’s Leeds career is quickly turning into one of the most inspired pieces of business the club has done in recent years, with the exception of Raphinha. Signed for £12m (plus add ons) from Newcastle in the summer, the 27-year-old midfielder was viewed by some fans as underwhelming, with many questioning both his pedigree and whether he was the right fit for Daniel Farke’s system. Yet six games in, Longstaff is not only silencing his critics but also emerging as a genuine leader in the heart of midfield. His performance against Bournemouth underlined everything he has brought to Leeds: energy, resilience, and a surprising creative spark. Nobody on the pitch bettered his 14 defensive actions, six tackles, or 10 duels won, and his seven key chances created was a gulf above anyone else, with the next best tally standing at just two. Those numbers speak to a player not only disrupting opposition play but dictating his team’s forward momentum. It is little wonder, then, that his 7.08 Whoscored rating has propelled him to the top of the Leeds rankings. He has become the engine that makes Leeds tick, offering both stability and progression in equal measure. For a player once dismissed by sections of the fanbase, his transformation into a lynchpin feels like vindication, and more importantly, a reminder that the right signing is not always the flashiest but the most effective. Confidence is growing, and with it, so is Longstaff’s influence. please log in to view this image
Morning all Not good news for James or Leeds, I’d say we need to get to the January window with no further major injuries but I’m not confident we have any money to spend
Morning all I like James but if he's out for the rest of the season then we're gonna have to find a replacement in January. (Facts) then I would sack him off in the summer. Practically a whole without playing probably won't come back good enough
Terrible news for Dan only consolation from a Leeds point of view is he's played little or no part in our season to date
My initial thought was if we stay up, how much use, and what standard would he return next season. He’s never flourished at this level, sadly I don’t believe the PL is his playground
Morning, Shouldn’t have let Ramazani go out on loan. He’s a better player than James anyway, and could have easily filled in on the right flank. Crazy decision.
If we sell Piroe then we'd have to buy a new striker unless Gray is going to get promoted to the 1st team but then we risk losing him to an established Premiership club.
We all have our own opinion's on who's the better player. Talented lad but I have my doubts that Largie could cut it in the PL... but I'd have to have seen a fully fit version of him have an extended run in the team before making a judgement on him. He looked gassed pretty quickly every time he was offered more than a cameo. If the club were serious about another winger then it would have made some sense to get one in before letting Largie go. Not a crazy decision though if the manager thinks he's an unprofessional liability... which he clearly did. Doesn't matter if the internet thinks he's a worldbeater, if the guy who works with him every day and picks the team thinks he's a clown.
Gutting for James and Leeds, don’t think he was fully fit when he played this season so it’s a shame we/he didn’t get to prove himself this season after being so good last year. Good to see that Aaronson has done well when he’s played & we do have Gnoto that can play on the right although he’s not as good defensively. Think it’ll be those two on that side until we get to January and assume we’ll go in for Wilson again with just 6 months left on his contract.
Yeah agreed. If he was a world beater he wouldn’t be sat on the bench for us in the championship last season and he wouldn’t be on the bench this season for Valencia. Plus Ramazani is a left winger and we have Okafor & Harrison on that side.
