Leeds United's international stars rated by national media as 7/10 'really good' but 6/10 'not as influential'
A handful of Leeds United first-team payers were in action on Monday evening.
The second round of September international fixtures got underway on Sunday evening as countries start to wrap up their first break of the season. Leeds United were well represented across Europe on Monday night with four first-team players in action while another watched on from the bench.
As always seems to be the case now, a large majority featured for Wales as Craig Bellamy recorded his first win as manager, a 2-1 victory over Montenegro, but one of this summer’s big-name signings was also in action. Below, the YEP has taken a look at how the evening went for five Whites, as reported by national media.
Karl Darlow
Thirty-three-year-old goalkeeper Darlow was handed an international debut for Wales’ 2-1 Nations League win in Montenegro, having previously knocked back approaches to represent the nation. And the Leeds back-up produced an excellent display in challenging conditions at the Gradski Stadion, pulling off an incredible first-half double save to keep his side 2-0 up, following early goals from Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson.
Montenegro pulled one back mid-way through the second-half but Wales held on and had Darlow to thank, with the goalkeeper earning a 7/10 rating from Wales Online. Reporter Tom Coleman wrote: “Nearly caught out by Jovetic in the first half and was saved by the crossbar, but made some smart saves to keep Montenegro at bay.”
Joe Rodon
An ever-present for club and country over the past year or so, Rodon got another full 90 minutes under his belt in Montenegro, taking him up to 180 minutes of international football during this break. The battling defender appeared to enjoy the battering rain and Montenegro pressure, standing firm up against former Manchester City frontman Stevan Jovetic.
Rodon was not perfect, however, and got caught with a run in behind for the home side’s goal. He was also given a 7/10 rating by Wales Online, who wrote: “Made some really good tackles and clearances to keep his side in it. However, was perhaps done a little too easily in the build-up to Montenegro's goal.”
Ethan Ampadu
As with Rodon, Ampadu has been a constant presence for Wales since becoming a Leeds player and played out the full 90 minutes in central midfield. But the 23-year-old was not at his best, struggling to keep possession in the testing conditions and often finding himself outnumbered as striker Jovetic dropped deep.
But the Leeds captain battled hard defensively and made some important tackles as Montenegro pushed to level the score. Wales Online gave him a 6/10, writing: “Made some decent contributions defensively, but just wasn't as influential as normal.”
Manor Solomon
Israel tasted defeat for the second time in this break after losing 2-1 against Italy in Budapest, with Manor Solomon getting a full 90 minutes of action. The on-loan Tottenham winger was heavily involved in his side’s attacks but missed a good opportunity to score what would have been a crucial first-half goal.
A second straight defeat won’t be easy to take for Solomon, but the 25-year-old impressed Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, who gave him a rating of 6/10. They wrote: “The curling shot that misses the goal in the first half is not a small mistake. But he always tries, he doesn’t hide, and always offers the play to his teammates.”
Max Wober
Austria fell to a 2-1 defeat against Norway on Monday evening but Leeds defender Wober was made to watch on from the bench, having played 90 minutes against Slovenia last week. Head coach Ralf Rangnick admitted there was a ‘question mark’ over the 26-year-old’s availability and seemingly opted against the risk.
It remains to be seen whether that ‘question mark’ is a recurrence of an ongoing calf issue, or merely Rangnick’s decision to manage his player’s workload, with Wober only enjoying 62 minutes of action at club level so far this season. Daniel Farke will likely provide more clarity in his press conference later this week.