Journo describes what he watched Connor Roberts perform on the Plymouth pitch while he misses out. According to Beren Cross, Connor Roberts participated in a few pre-match workouts for Leeds United before their FA Cup fourth-round replay triumph against Plymouth at Home Park.
The Leeds Live journalist revealed on his personal X account (6 February) that the on-loan Burnley defender, who joined the club on transfer deadline day, went through some drills with Head of Sports Science Tom Robinson despite being ineligible for Tuesday’s (4 February) match, which saw the Whites win 4-1.
Roberts was unable to make his debut for the replay on Tuesday since he was not included in Farke’s squad for the first leg at Elland Road, which ended in a 1-1 draw with the Pilgrims.
On Tuesday evening, Cross wrote: “Connor Roberts is going through a few drills on the pitch with head of sport science Tom Robinson. I am not interested tonight, clearly.”
Develop some much-needed Leeds fitness
Farke’s decision to keep Roberts on the squad despite his ineligibility for the game was totally sensible, as he wanted him to bond with his teammates while also getting some much-needed fitness training.
The German has received a lot of accolades for his man management since joining the club, and this is just another example of how he integrates new players into his squad.
Many managers would not bother taking a player to an FA Cup away day if they were unable to play, but the German sees this as an excellent opportunity to integrate the Welshman into the squad.
Furthermore, Roberts is an experienced man with a wealth of knowledge that will be extremely beneficial to Farke’s side, and his participation in what will be a high-stakes encounter at Home Park was important.
The Whites worked hard for their victory on Tuesday, only winning 3-1 in extra time, but their squad’s quality and experience paid off in the end, and it would be no surprise to see how much a player like Roberts influenced proceedings without playing.
The Whites fans will now eagerly await his debut at Elland Road, when Leeds United face Rotherham United this Saturday (10 February).
