Leeds United Talking Points: Dealing with the loss of Saiz ... the need for new strike options ... too many changes at Newport?

Were nine changes necessary?

Former Whites head coach Garry Monk made ten changes to his side for the trip to Sutton United over the corresponding weekend last year and Thomas Christiansen went close to following suit by making nine changes for the clash in Wales. Like Monk, the Dane paid the price with Leeds again crashing out at the first hurdle to lower division opposition for the second year running.

But in fairness to Christiansen, every one of his selected XI at Newport had previous first team experience and the Whites team fielded quite simply should have been capable of putting United into the next round, even allowing for the fact that pairing Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Jay-Roy Grot together upfront in a 4-4-2 clearly did not work.

United’s much-changed back five were also all over the place despite the valiant efforts of Gaetano Berardi at centre-back and to be honest the midfield were not much better, bar the odd glimmer from Mateusz Klich on a rare start.

As a Polish international, there must surely be better to come from him.

Still, it is right to question whether Christiansen needed to make as many changes with Leeds now having no midweek games until February and a stronger Whites side would almost certainly have put United in the next round.

A gilt-edged chance of progression gone but fair play to Newport and essentially Christiansen is now left with question marks hanging most of the players that started at Rodney Parade bar Berardi and maybe Klich with even the now well-established Phillips having a game that he will have been disappointed with in centre midfield.

Definitely capable of much better than that.

Will the defeat change United’s January plans?

The unacceptable loss at Newport made it abundantly clear that United’s squad as a whole is not strong enough.

And the need for a new striking option in particular is now more glaringly obvious than ever with Lasogga - once on the verge of the German national team - failing to make any impression against a side 11th in League Two.

Extremely disappointing and strike partner Grot did little to change the view that he is not ready for United’s first team.

With Caleb Ekuban still injured, that leaves just Kemar Roofe with young Academy striker Jack Clarke seemingly next in line judged by his appearance on the bench at Newport.

There was a feeling that Leeds would not panic buy in the January window and nobody is suggesting they should but by hook or by crook landing a new forward looks essential.

A natural left back also looks a must and the pursuit of Club Brugge defender Laurens De Bock looks a good move but United look to need much more than that and Yosuke Ideguchi and Aapo Halme to challenge for a place in the Premier.

Put simply, a new striker looks a must as well as the need for a left back and then there is the ongoing debate about the goalkeeper situation though it is to be hoped that Felix Wiedwald has now turned a corner and can be relied upon from here on in.

There’s also a definite feeling that United would benefit from a tough-tackling and no nonsense centre midfielder and unless Halme makes quick giant strides then there is not much strength in depth at centre-back.

Should Saiz have featured at Newport and will the club appeal his ban?

First things first, there is absolutely no place in the game for spitting and if Saiz did indeed spit at Robbie Willmott then that, as head coach Thomas Christiansen put it, is quite clearly “a problem”.

The incident and straight red card is set to land the no 10 a six-match ban which Leeds need like a hole in the head.

It means Saiz, who is probably United’s best player and certainly their most potent attacking threat, will miss a crucial period of the season and in particular crunch games at Sheffield United and Derby County as well as home clashes with Cardiff City and Bristol City.

United have the right to appeal but it’s difficult to see the ban being overturned and there’s no doubt that the whole thing should have been avoided.

Christiansen’s decision to bring Saiz on to try to win the game can in a way be applauded but surely if there was one player who should have been ‘saved’ from the FA Cup clash then it was United’s star no 10. It is only to be hopped that the consequences do not harm United’s otherwise very promising bid for promotion beyond repair.

At least in Pablo Hernandez the club have a more than able deputy at no 10.

Also, when all is said and done, Leeds are still in the play-offs in sixth but January’s transfer activity and the club’s next six games will be absolutely key.