Jonny Buchan praised Joe Rodon for “booting him to the floor” after his Leeds United teammate recovered from a late blow against Leicester City.
On Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet on November 6, the BBC Leeds writer described the on-loan Tottenham defender forcing Archie Gray to the ground in order to bleed the clock in the 1-0 victory as a “brilliant moment” at the King Power.
Rodon was brilliant in the heart of defence in a commanding win away to the league leaders on Friday night (3 November).
“Archie was kind of leaning over trying to stretch out, and Rodon realised, ‘If he goes down, we can stop the game and kill it a little bit more here,'” Buchan said (9m).
“And went over and booted him to the floor, which was a brilliant moment.”
Knowing that encouraging his teenage teammate to go to ground could save some critical seconds is the kind of seasoned knowledge that supporters appreciate when it works in their favour and despises when it does not.
In this case, it was just one of many things that Leeds United fans would have been pleased to witness on the night, as part of a good all-around performance that unsettled the Foxes and secured a crucial three points.
Gray, once again playing in the unfamiliar right-back role, was likely under the most pressure as a Whites senior, but he didn’t falter.
Rodon’s contribution in the middle of Daniel Farke’s defence has gone largely unnoticed this season, with so many of his teammates attracting the limelight.
However, the void he creates when he is absent demonstrates how important he has become, putting him in discussion with Ethan Ampadu as the greatest signing of the summer at Elland Road.
His leadership and consistency have kept captain Liam Cooper out of the starting lineup and added some much-needed steel to a back line that has been all too frequently frail in the last two seasons.
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