Leeds United boss explanation unnecessary as star man makes goal prediction and table analysis
Leeds United match winner Willy Gnonto says Daniel Farke's team selection explanation was unnecessary, even if he was disappointed by it.
Coming off the bench late on, Gnonto took a deft pass from fellow winger Daniel James and was the picture of composure as he rolled the ball into the net to make it 4-3 at Swansea City. It capped a red letter day for Farke's wide players, with James getting two official assists and forcing an own goal and Manor Solomon scoring his first two goals for the Whites.
The wingers continue to rival Leeds' central attackers when it comes to goalscoring this season. Gnonto [3], James [2], Solomon [2] and Largie Ramazani [3] have scored 10 between them, compared with the dozen contributed by strikers Joel Piroe [6], Mateo Joseph [2] and number 10 Brenden Aaronson [4].
With Ramazani fit again, albeit not required to make an appearance at Swansea on Sunday, Gnonto expects more to come from his department and that's why he was not seeking answers from the manager when he was dropped from the starting line-up for the first time this season.
"I wasn't expecting anything," he said. "Of course I'm always disappointed when I don't start or when I don't play as much as I think, but at the same time I know that when I come on I have the chance to make a difference and that's what I tried to do. Happy that I did it in a way.
"I don't think there is much to explain, at least to me, because I know we have lots of good players. I want to play every game but I know it's not possible, it's a long season, we need everyone and it's good we have Manor scoring two goals. He's been working really hard and he deserves it. Dan, we know his quality, we know what he's good at and he showed it again, two assists and [set up] the own goal. I scored, Largie is going to come back and score I'm sure. It's good to have everyone fit and ready to go.
"It's really good. I feel like the competition is really high, we have loads of good players in every position and it's nice to have everyone fit, at least nearly everyone fit, and it's going to make a difference at the end."
Farke and Leeds had much to thank the wingers for last season with regards to end product. Crysencio Summerville led the club in goalscoring with 19, James got 13 and Gnonto added eight of his own. Jaidon Anthony, on loan from Bournemouth, was only able to add one. That amounted to just over half of Leeds' 81 Championship goals across the season. After 16 games of the current campaign, the wide players account for just over a third of the goals for column but while injuries have hampered Gnonto's trio of colleagues, one of the summer aims at Leeds was to share the goalscoring burden more evenly throughout the team.
With four coming from the full-backs and two from Pascal Struijk, some progress has been made. The central midfield is yet to break its duck, even with the injury-enforced replacement of two defensive-minded players with forward-focused pair Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell, yet Sunday's win took Leeds to the top of the table and took them to within a goal of divisional scoring leaders Middlesbrough so right now there is little room for complaint.
Ascending to the summit after 16 games means little in the grand scheme of things - they did so briefly in March of last season and went on to finish third - as both Farke and Gnonto have recognised. It does mean something, though. And even if Tuesday night's results elsewhere go against the Whites, they will be playing for the chance to retake the position 24 hours later when Luton Town visit Elland Road.
"I feel like it means we're on a good path," said Gnonto. "We have to keep going. It's early days, so of course it doesn't mean anything but at the same time it's nice to be top of the league. We know we have to keep going like this and we have to keep working hard.
"It's not enough, we want to win every game. Wednesday we don't have to go a bit arrogant into the game, but with confidence. We play for our fans and we know Elland Road is difficult for teams. [Swansea] was a difficult game to win, we're happy to do it but we know there's a long way to go. We're not going to get too excited about it, but we just want to keep going on Wednesday and win another game."