Leeds United boss, Paul Heckingbottom answered a series of questions from the press after the 2-2 Bristol City draw on Sunday. The 40-year-old was asked about Hadi Sacko’s case in terms of receiving more game time and he said, “He’s impressed that’s why he was in there. I’ll judge people on what I see and that’s it.”
This is a definite boost in Sacko’s morale who has struggled to feature for the first team under the management of Thomas Christiansen. He has already shown what he capable of to the newly appointed Heckingbottom and by the looks of things will be provided with the opportunity to develop further.
Sacko arrived at Elland Road in the summer of 2016 on a loan spell from Portuguese outfit, Sporting CP. The 23-year-old was demoted to the Sporting B team and went on to make 54 appearances while netting the ball on 10 occasions.
He was never given the chance to prove himself for the senior team and was sent away to Ligue 2 side, Sochaux in January 2016. His first season with the Peacocks was illustrious with 42 total appearances and a key figure in their fight for promotion.
However, the current campaign saw Sacko get banished to a rotational role behind the likes of Kemar Roofe, Pablo Hernandez and Ezgjan Alioski. His resurgence to the starting XI against Bristol on the weekend somehow turned a few eyebrows among the Leeds faithful.
After a 15-minute cameo in last week’s 2-1 loss at Sheffield United, Sacko was handed half an hour against the Robins and produced one of his most effective performances in a Leeds shirt.
The former Sporting Lisbon prospect is not short of effort as he kept on threatening the Bristol defence with his scintillating pace and tireless running. The entire backline was fearful of being beaten by Sacko’s quick feet and had to team up to stop him from breezing past them.
Leeds are undergoing a horrific year so far with their last win registered on Boxing Day. They are currently in 8-points behind the playoff spots in the 11th spot of the Championship and are scheduled to face top contenders in their next 14 league games.
Heckingbottom’s priority has been to lift the spirits of a team who are currently deep in an overwhelming rut. While making a comeback is mathematically possible, United’s needs to channel their inner motivation to dig themselves out of the present conundrum.
The manager needs all the help he can get and Sacko’s eagerness to prove his worth is one of the positives he can draw out in recent times.
