Teenage Archie Gray of Leeds United is one of the most impressive full-backs in the Championship thus far this season, therefore he is playing in a high-pressure environment.
Throughout the large portion of the year, he has not appeared out of place in the Whites‘ starting lineup at the age of 17.
In fact, of the Yorkshire team‘s 26 league games, Gray has earned every one of his 22 starts. Gray demonstrated that he still has versatility in his game on Sunday when he played holding midfield with Ilia Gruev, which is the position he believes to be his finest in the FA Cup victory at Peterborough United.
Although the outstanding football player for England’s young team is in his first season of adult football, he is facing a lot of pressure. In addition to being out of position at right-back, he is expected to be the team’s first choice as Djed Spence was sent packing for Tottenham and Luke Ayling‘s abilities are diminishing.
Gray is under pressure after Spence leaves
Early in January, Spence made his way back to his parent club, Tottenham, eliminating part of the strength in depth that Farke‘s team had over their opponents for promotion at full back. After starting in six of the last seven league games—mostly at left-back, though—the former Middlesbrough player left the Whites at an odd moment. something that has been brought on by the position’s injury problems and Gray’s outstanding performances on the right.
Although Gray is a valuable asset, he shouldn’t be starting every game as the second half of a relentless Championship season approaches. Farke would much rather have the option of rotation available to him.
After failing to win any of their past five league games, Ipswich Town, who are now in second place and may lose their automatic promotion berth, is only seven points ahead of the Whites in the table. Given that the Tractor Boys have recently faltered, Farke‘s Whites are very much in the running for promotion. The Elland Road supporters, who saw their team relegated just the previous season, will be hoping for an instant return to the Premier League.
Gray is playing under a lot of pressure, therefore it’s not ideal for a juvenile starlet who is still learning his craft because Farke doesn’t have many rotation options in this position after Spence left. Additionally, it eliminates his possibility to play central midfield should the team’s needs escalate in that area.
Although Gray has so far handled the pressures of Championship football admirably, as the season progresses and lower-division teams get closer to the spring run-in, the pressure increases and the stakes rise.
Leeds ought to look into the full-back market
Undoubtedly, Spence‘s return to Spurs increases the strain on young Gray, but Gray would have received a lot of playing time even in the absence of the former Nottingham Forest player’s return to his home team.
Since joining the team in 2016, Ayling has been a solid pillar for the Whites. However, this season, Farke has not really used him and he has only started eight Championship games.
Having played left-back for the bulk of the season, am Byram, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be able to provide Gray any relief, even though he may be playing the greatest football of his career since leaving Elland Road in January 2016. Additionally, Byram has an unfavorable history of suffering ailments. In 2020 and 2021, a hamstring injury sidelined the star player for about a year at his previous club, Norwich City.
Like Ayling, Jamie Shackleton isn’t particularly high on Farke‘s priority list; he has only started seven Championship games this season, so Gray is really carrying the most of the job at full-back.
Naturally, bolstering their full-back corps is one method Leeds may counteract their over-reliance on Gray at right-back and allow him to return to central midfield. Byram could compete with Gray at right-back and lessen his workload covering Junior Firpo if he had a new left-back. Just adding a right-back to take Spence‘s place would also resolve any problems.
As things stand, Leeds is taking a chance with Gray because of their current squad balance and Farke‘s hierarchy. In his early professional football career, he was a center midfielder who was forced to play out of position in a competitive push for promotion.
Despite his talent, it seems that the Whites must enter the transfer window right away to bolster their full-back alternatives and relieve pressure on the teenager.
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