Leeds United's Samuel Saiz and the continuing act of petulance

Rewind to November as Leeds travelled to Oakwell to face their Yorkshire neighbours Barnsley and the Spaniard left the field claiming the plaudits having played a key role in the 2-0 victory.

He notched the opening goal that lunchtime, which was his fifth of an already blossoming league campaign, and life was good at Elland Road with a place in the top six firmly in United's sights.

Fast forward that same tape five months and Leeds sit 12th in mid-table mediocrity with Saiz having failed to find the back of the net since.

In the reverse fixture on Saturday the 27-year-old left the field in the 84th minute kicking a water bottle in frustration at Paul Heckingbottom's decision to replace him with Adam Forshaw, an odd reaction given the Whites were winning the game.

The first time United fans saw him in action last August the former Huesca man introduced himself by notching a hat-trick against Port Vale in the League Cup. He went on to play starring roles away at Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Bristol City and by Christmas he had grabbed himself nine goals and five assists in all competitions.

Saiz' petulance though has always been a feature throughout the campaign with tantrums here and there, followed by theatrics on occasion but in recent months his behaviour has worsened, maybe now we are starting to see his true colours?

Football fans are more accepting when things are going your way and Whites fans welcomed it as part of the 'package' but when his bad temper eventually got the better of him at Newport County in the FA Cup a six-game ban for spitting at Robbie Willmott resulted.

The wheels came off United's season and nothing has quite been the same since.

The Spaniard's quality is clear for all to see but two assists since returning from his ban and no goals since November isn't a good enough response from a player who needed to win back his adoring public.

He was, after all, a shining light at the beginning of a season that promised so much.

Compatriot Pablo Hernandez, who could yet walk away from Elland Road this summer, has outshone Saiz in the closing months of the campaign having bagged seven goals and eight assists in total.

No-one is asking Saiz to change his playing style but United must find a way of channelling his frustration in the right direction going forward, his act is wearing thin on the United fans and Saturday was no exception with groans filling the air on more than one occasion.

In a poor Leeds team he has taken it upon himself too many times to be the hero but has ended up more often that not making bad situations worse, something the Whites and Paul Heckingbottom could do without.

There is no doubt the Spaniard possesses the quality to carry the Whites forward on his shoulders and become a top Championship player but the inconsistency in his game and attitude have derailed what could've been a rise to stardom among the terraces.

Any manager will tell you that a player angry at being replaced is a good thing but only if the anger is aimed in the right place. On his day Saiz is a match winner for any team in the division but in the current climate his attitude is viewed as selfish, childish and his complaints at match officials instead of tracking back are viewed much the same.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell gave him both barrels for his lack of effort in defence against Barnsley and a falling out with Ronaldo Vieira resulted, you do have to wonder whether the Spaniard's behaviour has been healthy for the dressing room in the latter half of the season.

The act of petulance is nothing new in football and it is one many top players within the game possess but you have to earn the right to get away with it, something of which Saiz has been lacking in the second half of the campaign.