What Daniel Farke said on Leeds United change as West Brom game offers poetic debt repayment chance

The last time the Whites were preparing to face Carlos Corberan and the Baggies, in the final hours before kick-off in fact, Willy Gnonto hit the headlines with a written transfer request. The timing could not have been worse, leaving it wide open for speculation over exactly what level of thought was given to the disruption such a request would cause on a matchday.

As it happened, Farke had given express instructions to staff at Leeds that he be left alone to deal with his managerial duties and the game itself, to be freed from transfer distractions. But Gnonto, quite obviously, played no part in that 1-1 draw at Elland Road.

The four months that have passed since then have brought an apology from Gnonto, a reunion with Farke and the squad and put distance between a young player and actions that were ill-advised, at best. But though he actually returned to the starting line-up a week after the infamous events of August 18, Gnonto has since been forced to settle for a bit-part role. He has played in every game for which he has been fit and available, he just hasn't started more than once in the last 13 outings.

Speaking at Preston and casting his view towards The Hawthorns, Farke offered little in the way of hope for Gnonto or any of the supporting cast. He wants something different on Friday night, but not expressly someone different. "More like the general approach," he said. "We had games where we had changes in the offensive positions, it was at Stoke and we had the same problems. We were not able to invest more movements and keep the ball in difficult circumstances. It has not as much to do with the players, who are on the pitch, it was more the mentality how to go into this game. I want to see a different behaviour and approach in this game.”

At some point, now or further down the line, Farke is going to tinker with his forward line and you have to believe that Gnonto will get another chance. Whether or not the debt that arose from the wantaway shenanigans has been repaid in full, Farke has obviously forgiven him. The manager tells us he trusts all of his squad and obviously includes the youngster in that statement. And if the struggles of the attacking quartet that have held down the starting positions for Leeds with such stability for weeks on end have indeed opened up a chink of light for one of the supporting cast, Gnonto would feel the likeliest to profit. He has looked the liveliest of the players who traditionally come off the bench to replace the starters in the advanced positions. He retains huge potential and value. He and Crysencio Summerville find each other, often, and the on-field fruit of their relationship is still there to be harvested. He must be champing at the bit. He still owes Farke for the second chance that was afforded to him. And wouldn't it be poetic for West Bromwich Albion, of all the possible opponents, to be the ones to suffer at the dancing feet of the Italian international, as he settles his debt?