Morning Leeds-in for 12 May: Pierre-Michel Lasogga says goodbye to Leeds

Pierre-Michel Lasogga appears to be leaving Leeds after his loan spell at the club has expired.

Oh well, we’ll always have Millwall.

I said on Twitter that in regards to Lasogga, there is a good player in there somewhere, he just needs to be fit to be a decent player. He was lights-out for about a month at the start of the season and we all thought we’d found a replacement for Chris Wood.

And then Lasogga shuffled all over the pitch against Reading FC and we all felt a punch to the gut. Any football fan can give credit to a player that works hard and is crap, but to look crap while barely moving? That’s an unforgivable sin.

Lasogga shuffled along for a little while more, until he was subbed off at half-time during the debacle at Brentford. He then disappeared for awhile, coming back in January and reminding everyone why Hamburger SV signed him to a contract that paid him a reported €50k a week. Honestly, the match against Millwall when he was an integral part of the team that battled back from 2-0 down at half-time and down to 10 men to take a 3-2 lead was amazing.

And much like the final result in that Millwall match, Lasogga couldn’t go the distance. Once again after a few weeks, he seemed to go back to drifting around the pitch and Caleb Ekuban was preferred to the big German. Ekuban can’t hold a candle to Lasogga when it comes to finishing, but at least he works hard.

I don’t know if it’s fitness or commitment, but we saw this season why Hamburg signed him to a contract that paid him €50k/week and why they also (reportedly) paid him €5k/week to NOT play for them.

On to the links.

Leeds United Links

Everton had signed former Leeds loanee Matthew Pennington to a new contract. [Royal Blue Mersey]

England and English Football Links

Derby County beat Fulham in the first leg of their play-off semifinal. It’s not happening again for Fulham, is it? [BBC.com]

Gareth Southgate will announce the England World Cup squad on Wednesday. [BBC.com]

Mark Hughes got all upset at Stoke City’s owners after they talked shit about him or something. [Sky Sports]

Arsene Wenger said he wouldn’t swap Arsenal’s new stadium for trophies. Um, I’m pretty sure Arsenal fans don’t necessarily feel the same way. [Sky Sports]

World Football Links

Xolos de Tijuana upset Toluca 2-1 at the Estadio Caliente in Tijuana to take an improbable lead in their Liguilla semi-final. Toluca scored at the death to give themselves a lifeline as the series returns to Toluca and in altitude of central Mexico. [FMF State of Mind]

Santos Laguna doesnt’ have the flash or budget of other Liga MX teams, but they’re always successful. Why? A youth system they call “The Warrior Factory.” [ESPN.com]

Most Canadian players have to leave Canada to have a chance at a pro career, but Ryan Telfer’s route from York University to Toronto FC is showing that there is a viable path to the pros from Canadian Universities. [Waking The Red]

Brazil right back Dani Alves has been ruled out the World Cup after suffering an injury in PSG’s French Cup win. [Goal.com]