Prior to the January transfer window, Leeds United certainly didn’t have the best of the resources on the bench, implying that a relatively thin squad with not much of quality was on offer to execute Garry Monk’s tactical adjustments during a game. Few shrewd deals were thus the call of the hour for the Whites and inarguably, the former Swansea City manager was bang on target in roping some high calibre names into his ranks and one such top notch player they have the luxury of using, at least for this season, is Alfonso Pedraza.
Signed on loan at the tail end of the January transfer window from La Liga heavyweights Villareal, Pedraza’s move caught a lot of attention owing to the qualities he offered. However, in a jam-packed midfield setup of the Yellow Submarines, a move from Estadio de le Ceramica was on the cards to prove his mettle and consistency and Leeds United were quick to negotiate a loan deal to lure him to the Elland Road. He was quick to adopt the life in the Championship and has already made a mark for himself, particularly after a phenomenal outing against Birmingham City last weekend.
Pedraza came on against Huddersfield Town and started against Cardiff City and despite the fact that the Peacocks got defeated against both these sides, the 20-year-old winger appeared to be in a very healthy spirit. But it was against the Blues that he showed how fantastic he really is: he constantly ran at Birmingham City’s defences, suffocated them and forced them to make errors. When Pablo Hernandez fed him the ball on the left wing, he slotted the ball into the net in a spectacular fashion, the kind of strikes one sees in a textbook. Arguably, it was Pedraza who changed the complexion of the game in Leeds United’s favour to completely dismantle the opponents at St. Andrew’s.
He has been highly rated and slowly but surely, he is living up to his credentials. In the business end of the season where Monk is looking not only for a playoff spot but for a top two finish which would grant them an automatic promotion, someone like Pedreza, who is quite unknown to the fellow second-tier sides, gives an excellent opportunity for the gaffer to bolster his attacking setup. The Spaniard can do a lot of damage with his pace, mobility and clinical finishing techniques, even if he comes off the bench, for he is really a valuable asset to have at this stage of the season and without any doubt, the way Monk uses him could very well dictate their whereabouts next season.
