Millwall v Leeds United: Fan pundit highlights current Jaidon Anthony dilemma | OneFootball

Jaidon Anthony arrived as Leeds’ last signing of the summer transfer window by moving to Elland Road in a deal that saw wantaway winger Luis Sinisterra head the other way on a season-long loan.

Crucially, Anthony has credit in the bank from his last season in the Championship during Bournemouth’s 2021/22 promotion-winning campaign, in which he scored eight times and assisted a further seven in a commendable breakthrough year.

And while regular action was unsurprisingly harder to come by in the top-flight, Anthony still did his reputation no harm by finding the back of the net on three occasions last time out amid only 11 starts.

So, there is a strong school of thought that his quality will truly shine through back in the second-tier, with Whites fans understandably excited about what the 23-year-old could offer in their bid to return to the big time under Daniel Farke.

He should prove an important cog in any capacity, although his role in the team is not yet clear given the array of options that Farke currently boasts at his disposal and, as such, FLW fan pundit Kris Smith has stated where he believes Anthony sits in the club’s pecking order ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Millwall.

He told FLW: “I think a start would probably be premature for Anthony with the competition for places we’ve got out wide, but that is some serious backup that we’ve got there for Willy Gnonto.

“I think Gnonto is the starter on the left wing, but now we’ve got scope to change things up in the second half with someone who looks a real threat, like he did for Bournemouth when they got promoted.

“I don’t think a start is likely for him unless Gnonto is carrying an injury coming back from Italy duty, but he should be coming off the bench to add some real quality for us in the last half hour at the New Den, where it could be a real slog.

“Not many teams in this league can post a bench with the quality that we have, and Anthony is one of those options that is just far better than any other bench in the league.”

How important will strength in depth be for Leeds United this season?

A strong point is raised about the benefit of having more than one talented option to call upon, and that is just what will be required of a promotion-chasing team in a season that promises to yield unique quality and competitiveness across the board.

After all, it is a grueling old 46-game marathon that tests the resolve of each of its participants, with the danger of fatigue and injury always on the horizon.

Those factors should, in good time of course, see Anthony make his mark in West Yorkshire, although with Gnonto currently flying after staying put, it is hard to see how their latest capture fits in on the left-hand side and that will likely see him feature from the bench in the capital.