Leeds United progressed into the quarter-final of the FA Cup after handily defeating Norwich City by three goals to nil at Elland Road.
Given the fact that United found themselves coming up against a side from the division below them, it was expected that Daniel Farke would rotate his side.
Whilst some players like Sean Longstaff and Jaka Bijol came in and put in positive performances that will push the pair to the forefront of Farke’s mind when it comes to team selection for Premier League fixtures, this can not be said for every player.
One member of the Leeds side struggled after being handed a rare start in a more unfamiliar position, with Farke ultimately admitting defeat by subbing him off.
Sebastiaan Bornauw was hooked at half-time against Norwich
Bornauw, 26, has found regular gametime hard to come by this season, but when the defender has been called upon, he has put in multiple solid displays when needed.
A centre-back by trade, Bornauw was deployed at right-back against Norwich, an experiment by Farke that came to a premature end as the German acknowledged his mistake and subbed Bornauw off at half-time.
It was evident by his performance that this was not the Belgian’s natural position, and the fact that Bornauw had to play in this new role after being ill the last few days ensured this experiment was a recipe for disaster.
Bornauw clearly lacks the agility required to play at full-back and looked awkward on the ball as a makeshift right-back, and it is unlikely that he will ever be called upon again to play that position after his performance against Norwich.
Data suggests Sebastiaan Bornauw was sloppy against Norwich
To ask a player who has just played 315 minutes in the Premier League this season to fill in an unnatural position was always going to be a tall order, and hopefully for Bornauw’s sake, he only features as a central defender when given gametime from now on.
- Bornauw committed two fouls and lost both of the ground duels he was involved in against Norwich
- His passing was also wayward at times, failing both of the long balls he attempted, as well as being inaccurate with his only cross
- As a result, the Belgian was hooked at half-time, with James Justin replacing him (Sofascore)
Leeds fans will be hoping that this display does not knock Bornauw’s confidence too much, as you never know whether or not the defender will need to be relied upon for the run-in for the remainder of the Premier League campaign.
