Daniel Farke’s first game in charge of Leeds United ended in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo. Here’s a look at the winners and losers from the contest.
Winners
Ian Poveda
It came as something of a surprise to see the winger start for the Whites after spending the last couple of seasons away from Elland Road on loan. But, he was thrust into Daniel Farke’s first starting XI and he seemed to relish the opportunity.
Poveda was arguably Leeds’ most threatening player in the first half in Oslo, stepping inside on a regular basis and finding a couple of opportunities to break. He couldn’t carve out a clear opportunity for himself but he looked to make things happen by finding his supporting teammates in space and bringing the likes of Sam Greenwood and Luis Sinisterra into the game.
Read more: Leeds United player ratings with Poveda decent but Struijk and Greenwood poor in Man Utd loss
What Farke has planned for Poveda remains to be seen, but the winger did his hopes of more minutes in the coming weeks no harm at all as he looks to finally establish himself at Elland Road.
Luis Sinisterra
Sinisterra’s first season did not go to plan, it’s fair to say. There were glimpses of his exceptional talent but injuries got the better of him and he missed far too much action as Leeds slipped towards the bottom three.
He’s clearly been working hard over the summer, though, and after returning to training last week at Thorp Arch, he impressed in his 45-minute run out against the Red Devils. Like Poveda, the Colombian found joy on the break, combining well with Georginio Rutter and enjoying himself as he had the beating of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
He couldn’t create anything for himself but there was enough in his performance to suggest he will be a real threat in the Championship, should Leeds be able to keep hold of him, that is.
Lewis Bate
Bate spent last season on loan with Oxford United and that stint seems to have brought his game on as he looks for more chances at Elland Road. He was always neat and tidy on the ball but he looked the part for large spells against the Red Devils in Norway, rarely putting a foot wrong with his passing game and attempting to disrupt the momentum the Old Trafford club built in the second half.
Bate is another that has an uncertain future in West Yorkshire, but if he can continue to take the opportunities he is given there might just be chances for him down the line.
Losers
Liam Cooper
The skipper had a couple of sloppy moments with the ball at his feet with passing options few and far between. He was comfortable enough with the threat facing him but Cooper knows he faces competition for a spot in the Leeds backline this season.
Leo Hjelde, Pascal Struijk and Max Wober are all considered to be left-sided centre-half options and he will be keen to tighten things up as the weeks go on in pre-season.
Pascal Struijk
Struijk had the chance to open the scoring just a few minutes after entering the action after the break after being left wide open for a corner. But, he couldn’t find the back of the net with his mistimed header and that just about summed up his day.
He was the man that gave the ball away for Man United’s first and he was unable to cut the ball out in the build-up to their second. Like Cooper, Struijk has competition for a spot in the side this season and he will be looking to move on quickly from his first run out of the 2023-24 calendar.
