This international break has offered some Leeds United players the chance to get back some confidence. Ao Tanaka and Jaka Bijol were two players with something to prove in the past couple of weeks, and they showed their quality.
Bijol had been on the bench for every Premier League game this year, with Daniel Farke saying that the form of the starting defenders is keeping him out of the team. The Slovenian put in two brilliant performances as his national team shut out Kosovo and Swizterland in back to back games.
Tanaka is another Leeds player who lost his place in the first team, dropping to the bench for Sean Longstaff.
QUIZ: Can you name these 10 former Leeds United goalkeepers?
Ao Tanaka addresses fans after Japan win
Ao Tanaka Credit: Imago
The Japanese midfielder showed what he is capable of after featuring in the 2-2 draw with Paraguay and the 3-2 win over Brazil. Local media praised the Leeds man’s impact. In 15 minutes, he had 13 touches but completed eight out of his nine passes, and lost possession just once.
Tanaka showed the calmness and great decision making he does in a Leeds United shirt. The draw with Paraguay also showed how combative the midfielder can be in the middle of the park – he won 5/5 of his aerial duels in that match.
View this post on Instagram
Ahead of his return to club duty in England, Tanaka posted a message for both fans of the Japan national team, and Leeds United: H“Good game. Reflection and Growth. I’ll do my best in England again.”
Can Leeds United man reclaim his spot in the team?
During the international break, Tanaka revealed that he was determined to win back his place in the team:
“Of course, the most important thing is that I’m disappointed that I’m not playing,”
“There are still seven games (gone), and I still have a lot of issues to work on, but I also feel like I can do it. I’ll just do it when I’m on the field.”
After being in the lineup from the for the first few games, Daniel Farke made the decision to introduce Sean Longstaff. Leeds then went on a run of positive results, showing that it was the right call. Longstaff ranks in the 99th percentile in the Premier League for possessions won, and 100th percentile in the league for duels won %. He also ranks among the top 10 for chances created.
Ao Tanaka has a huge mountain to climb to displace the summer signing.
