'Didn't turn up' - Micah Richards criticises two Leeds United players following play-off final defeat

Micah Richards singled out Leeds United pair Georginio Rutter and Wilfried Gnonto for below-par performances during Sunday’s Championship play-off final defeat against Southampton.

Leeds suffered Wembley heartbreak once again as Adam Armstrong’s clinical first-half finish handed Southampton a 1-0 win and promotion to the Premier League. A lacklustre performance from Daniel Farke’s men saw them rarely threaten and it was only when Dan James fired an effort onto the crossbar that Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy looked troubled.

As has so often been the case this season, Leeds needed their star attackers to turn up and produce but Southampton were rarely tested defensively despite conceding the majority of possession. And reflecting on the defeat, former Manchester City defender Richards was disappointed to see the likes of Rutter and Gnonto fail to produce.

“They [Leeds] didn’t have anything and I was surprised because in the two-legged semis they were brilliant, well in the second leg of the semis I should say,” Richards told The Rest Is Football. “They just didn’t turn up. I think they missed Bamford holding up the ball and I think Rutter did not have the best of games. It was strange because on the right-hand side of the pitch there was so much space, but Gnonto kept going inside and I was like, ‘stay wide and try and beat your man’. 

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“Until Dan James came on in the second half, they had just run out of ideas. Obviously, they had that chance with James when he hit the bar as well, but I was very disappointed with Leeds because I could hear the fans all day. I was staying by the station at Kings Cross, and they had been singing all morning and I thought they would take that extra sort of energy to Wembley, but it just didn’t transpire to the pitch which is disappointing. I really thought Leeds could do it on the day.”

Leeds now face another summer of uncertainty as preparations are put in place for a second season in the Championship. The absence of any significant revenue increase that comes with promotion means it is likely some star players will need to be sold, with reports of interest in the likes of Crysencio Summerville intensifying after Sunday’s defeat.

49ers Enterprises did set out a two-year plan for promotion when they took over last summer, however, and there is hope that shrewd management of finances this year will help in avoiding a fire sale. The club will desperately want to keep as many players as possible and may only be encouraged to cash in on those who can return decent money when it comes to profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

Farke is also expected to keep his position in charge and will benefit from a summer in which the major decisions are made early, allowing time to plug any gaps in the squad and bring the team together - a luxury that was not afforded to the German last year.