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‘Miles better games’ – BBC pundit left unimpressed by Leeds United individual in Wolves defeat

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Former Leeds United player Noel Whelan has criticised Jack Harrison for his performance in the Whites’ 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Elland Road on Monday night.

Whelan was commentating on the game for BBC Radio Leeds, and on a disappointing night for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, it seems the performance of the on loan Manchester City man was a particular source of frustration for the striker turned pundit.

In what was the first game back after the international break, Leeds did actually start the brighter of the two sides against Wolves on Monday.

The hosts enjoyed the majority of the possession and territory in the first half in particular, but ultimately failed to make that tell.

That is something they were punished for with 20 minutes remaining, when a long-range effort from Raul Jiminez took a big deflection off Kalvin Phillips, wrong-footing goalkeeper Illan Meslier to land in the bottom corner of the Leeds goal, which was eventually enough to seal all three points for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

That will have been particularly disappointing for Leeds given the opportunities they had to secure the game earlier in the match, and it seems Whelan believes that a lack of quality in Harrison’s crosses from wide was one reason for that.

Speaking after the game on BBC Radio Leeds, Whelan said: “I think the best deliveries came from the full-backs, Ayling and Dallas at times. I was really disappointed with Harrison.

“I have seen him have miles better games in crosses into the box where it gives the striker half a chance to attack because you work so hard to get into those areas.”

I do find myself agreeing with Whelan that this did not exactly look to be Harrison’s best game in a Leeds shirt, certainly in terms of the deliveries he was putting into the box.

That will be particularly disappointing given he did look to have the beating of his full-back in Nelson Semedo, meaning he could have does some considerable damage had his crosses been better.

However, it is worth remembering that Harrison has already made an impressive start to this season – his first at Premier League level – and it is not going to be easy for anyone to maintain that standard of performance week in week out.

As a result, I would not be all that surprised to see Harrison revert to his usually influential self on the pitch for Marcelo Bielsa’s side sooner rather than later.

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UCLan Sports Journalism graduate. Have been working for Leeds All Over since summer 2020, and can only be found writing on Football League World.