Season Grade: Pierre-Michel Lasogga

Expectations:

It would be easy to think that having been on £50k a week in Germany at Hamburg that Pierre-Michel Lasogga arrived at Leeds United with massive expectations. While that was the case for some fans, many knew he had a reputation for being lazy and unpredictable in previous seasons and that left a lot of fans worried as that is the sort of behaviour that Leeds fans cannot stomach.

Performance:

Much like I said in my season grade for Matthew Pennington, expectations were increased by Lasogga’s first game in a Leeds shirt. The German scored twice in a 5-0 victory over Burton Albion at Elland Road and played brilliantly, I really thought he we had found a player to replace Chris Wood, in fact, due to my exuberance for his performance, I thought he may even be an upgrade.

Lasogga’s performances didn’t drop off as quickly as those of Pennington, he picked up a few goals and assists up until the end of October, it seemed that if Leeds were playing well, he would play well (such as the 3-0 win away at Bristol City). The performance that got the German dropped was his abysmal performance in the 3-1 away defeat by Brentford, his only saving grace being that Andy Lonergan produced the worst display by any player in a Leeds shirt this season in the same match. He was subbed at half-time and did not start another match until the 20th January, where Leeds lost 4-3 at home to Millwall but Lasogga scored twice and was Leeds’ Man of the Match.

The Millwall game was followed by an awful 0-0 away at Hull City, and the 1-4 disgrace at home to Cardiff City. Then Lasogga scored in 3 consecutive games against Sheffield United, Bristol City, and Derby County (at which point he had 5 goals in 6 matches) and I thought we may finally be seeing the German at his best again.... He didn’t score again all season.

Some of his performances (particularly off the bench) in the last few weeks of the season were downright shameful. Through the entirety of March and April he did not have a single good performance and his final two substitute appearances away at Aston Villa and Norwich City were such lazy displays that they really drew the ire of the Leeds fanbase.

Final Season Grade: D+

The dichotomy of Pierre-Michel Lasogga.

10 goals and 3 assists in 31 games isn’t dreadful, he had some matches where he was a nightmare for defenders. He probably has the natural ability to play at a higher level than the Championship.

When things start going against him he is really lazy. Complains about every decision and throws himself to the floor. At the end of the season he stopped making runs, stopped jumping for headers, he became everything that people who had seen him at his worst in Germany warned us about. Lasogga got into the Germany squad at one point and got injured, unfortunately he doesn’t have the mental strength to get himself back to what he once was.

Leeds chose not to make the deal permanent and 99.9% of the fanbase agrees with the decision, you have to put in some really bad performances to get Leeds fans to all agree you are not up to it. I can’t pretend he has no ability, but he is not a Leeds United player and I am glad to see him gone.