‘I Wasn’t Crazy About How He Played’ – Leeds United Loanee Not Convinced Journalist | OneFootball

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Leeds United attacker Willy Gnonto has been urged to offer Fiorentina a greater ‘vertical threat’ on the pitch despite getting his name on the scoresheet on Tuesday night.

The 22-year-old completed his loan switch to Tuscany on deadline day after struggling to find regular game time with the Whites.

Daniel Farke subsequently admitted that allowing the Italian to leave was far from an easy decision due to how popular he was within the dressing room.

A sporting director then backed Gnonto to flourish in Florence as he made his Serie A debut against Torino.

However, the winger soon experienced a change in the dugout, with Paolo Vanoli replacing Fabio Grosso at the helm.

Under Vanoli, the Italian made his first start on Tuesday night against Pisa in the Coppa Italia, which proved productive for both the player and the club.

Gnonto duly marked the occasion with his first goal for La Viola, striking in the second half as Fiorentina dispatched Pisa 3-0 to book their place in the next round.

Analysing the game, journalist The Tito acknowledged that while Gnonto found the net, he was far from impressed by the attacker’s overall display, particularly his tendency to come towards the ball rather than threaten the space in behind.

He stressed that Gnonto needs to offer more by running forward and attacking the space in behind, otherwise Fiorentina’s attacking play will become predictable.

The journalist wrote on Viola Nation: “Gnonto got his goal but I wasn’t crazy about how he played, constantly showing to the ball instead of going over the top.

“Especially paired with Mastantuono and Pellegrino, he has to be that vertical threat.

“Otherwise, this attack is going to be so, so stale.”

Fiorentina’s next clash comes against Napoli at the weekend, with Gnonto hoping to retain his place in the starting lineup and build further momentum after opening his account.

Leeds will be keeping a close eye on the winger’s displays, hoping La Viola will be convinced to trigger the option to buy included in the loan agreement.