The 2016-17 campaign of the Sky Bet Championship died a premature death for Leeds United and one must feel very sorry for the West Yorkshire based club. For a major chunk of the season, it seemingly appeared that Garry Monk would be able to pass the baptism of fire with flying colours but the actual scenario in the end pencilled out in a starkly contrasting manner for the Whites as they succumbed, more often than not, during the business period.
Leeds United saw themselves losing out on a playoff spot and they have themselves to blame for their abject performances and such an unwarranted outcome. There has been some sluggish and mediocre players in their ranks who didn’t live up to the expectations, and one such was Hadi Sacko. Brought on loan from Sporting Lisbon, Sacko hardly set the pulses racing of the Leeds United faithful and no wonder why the Peacocks are reportedly not wanting to hand him a permanent move in the summer.
In 38 appearances in the Championship, the 23-year-old mustered merely 2 goals and 3 assists despite being engineered on the right wing, a slot from which one certainly expects better products. His pass accuracy of 79.2% isn’t an appealing one either as he squandered an excellent opportunity of showcasing his calibre on a consistent basis. His lack of impact at the club ever since his temporary move to the Elland Road has been evident and certainly hasn’t done enough to earn himself a place in the wish-list of the manager who would be handed the charges of the club next term, be it Garry Monk or any other successor for that matter.
Sacko has been sporadic and absolutely inconsistent, to say the least. Of course, he showed glimpses of class with his first touches and driving runs with a ruthless pace, he withered once he had to pull out the end product. His crosses went haywire more often than not and after what Chris Wood has produced up front under the tutelage of Monk this season, he certainly needs a better brand of wingers to fetch him adequate opportunities inside the box.
Make no mistake, the former French U20 international is a player blessed with insane talents but hasn’t delivered anything substantial as was desired from him from the fans and media alike. He had the chance to prove his intrinsic value and no matter how harsh it sounds, he failed to make the most of it and it would be an unwanted risk on the part of Leeds United if they offer him a permanent move.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored.com
