Football League World
·25 September 2024
Football League World
·25 September 2024
Largie Ramazani returned a goal on his first start For Leeds United as they claimed a 2-0 victory at Cardiff City over the weekend
This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Largie Ramazani has been lauded for an impressive goalscoring display in Leeds United's 2-0 victory away at Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon, which saw him open his account on his first start for the Whites.
The former Man United academy prospect moved to Elland Road in a reported £9.9 million switch from Spanish outfit Almeria following the sales of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.
Ramazani, who directly contributed to eight goals in the top flight of Spanish football last season, was made to wait somewhat patiently for his first start under Daniel Farke after appearing from the bench in fixtures against Hull City and Burnley either side of September's international break.
Tottenham Hotspur loanee Manor Solomon was preferred by the German for those two outings but missed the trip to the Welsh capital owing to injury, opening the door for Ramazani to receive his first start as a Leeds player.
The 23-year-old winger seized the opportunity with both hands and opened the scoring after half an hour on the clock, which will certainly provide something of a selection headache to Farke ahead of Coventry City's trip to Elland Road this weekend.
Football League World's resident Whites fan pundit Kris Smith has offered praise to Ramazani for his performance against the Bluebirds, believing that it has now paved the way for the player to cement himself as a consistent starter in Farke's side.
However, given he can play in a variety of roles, Smith believes that the tricky attacker may struggle to nail himself down to a consistent role in the starting 11, and he may have to be moved around on a game-by-game basis.
"In the first half in particular, Ramazani was absolutely superb and it's about time he got the starts to really show what he can bring to the table," Kris explained to Football League World.
"It's not only the fact that he scored but his link-up play as well, his pace is frightening and he has got the skill and composure to go with it and become a real threat for this Leeds team in attack.
"I think what really impressed me about his goal was the intelligence he showed to see Mateo Joseph going for the flick-on and immediately latch onto it into the gap between Cardiff's defenders.
'He raced clear and the touches he took to set himself up for that one-on-one were brilliant, showing a real composure in-front of goal that we've not really had in those one-v-one's.
"The way he calmly finished with his left foot was really good to see.
"It's difficult to see where he fits in this starting line-up long-term though. Not because he shouldn't start - because he obviously showed he's that good - but because I could see him playing virtually anywhere in our attack and still having the desired effect."
Farke will have a healthy headache on his hands when Solomon and Dan James return to full fitness, with four top-quality Championship wingers to choose from.
The vast majority of teams in the second-tier would sorely feel the absence of players like Solomon and James but, with Willy Gnonto and Ramazani to call upon, they have not been missed - and that is no knock on their individual quality.
There will doubtless be many an occasion where it will simply feel harsh to omit any of those four players from the starting line-up. They all have top-flight pedigree and are more than capable of being standout performers in the Championship, but there are worse dilemmas to be had.
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