“He’s really struggled,” a Leeds United fan commentator says of Luke Ayling.
With the completion of the loan signing of Djed Spence in the summer window, Luke Ayling’s game time may be reduced.
With the completion of Djed Spence’s loan signing in the summer window, Luke Ayling’s game time may be reduced.
This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which features personal thoughts from our FLW Fan Pundits on breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings, and more…
Leeds United’s sluggish start to the season hasn’t exactly inspired fans at Elland Road.
The Whites have only won one of their first five games this season, leaving them in 15th place with five points, and after failing to overcome rock-bottom side Sheffield Wednesday at home over the weekend, there is still a sense of despair in the west Yorkshire city.
Late-season signings to the squad such as Joel Piroe, Jaidon Anthony, and Djed Spence have threatened to catapult the club to the top of the league, albeit some improvement may be required in terms of shipping off some underperforming players, one of which being Luke Ayling.
How has Luke Ayling performed this season for
Spence, on the other hand, came on for 10 minutes and won five of his six duels against the Owls, which was more than Ayling did in 80 minutes, with all of his passes being accurate.
It’s fair to say that Ayling is a superior defensive full-back, but after seeing how Max Aarons performed for Daniel Farke, Spence is much more of a like-for-like player – and Ayling’s game time may decrease under the German, who favours an offensive style.
What has been said about Luke Ayling’s season debut?
Kris Smith, a Leeds United supporter on FLW, believes Ayling’s days are numbered, especially with the arrival of Djed Spence at Elland Road. “Is Luke Ayling going to be a star?” Smith wondered.
“I think his defensive credentials are something that people may question based on his time in the Championship with Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough, but his recovery to stop Josh Windass at the weekend – which would’ve been 1-0 to Sheffield Wednesday – has already won the fans over.”
“I think it’s an absolute no-brainer right now that we drop Ayling for him, despite Ayling being a fantastic servant for us.”
