Leeds 28-yr-old is shot, Tuesday development means his career at club is surely now over
COMMENT By Richard Parks
The writing was already on the wall for Felix Wiedwald’s Leeds United career.
Now it has been indelibly etched on every available Elland Road brick following confirmation on Tuesday morning of the United squad for their post-season tour of Myanmar.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom has named a mixture of established first teamers and rising stars for the controversial trip, which will incorporate two friendlies.
There are a few notable omissions, including World Cup participant Pontus Jansson, injured men like Stuart Dallas and Laurens De Bock, loanees Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Matthew Pennington and seniors who have carried a heavy playing burden this season.
Wiedwald stands out as one who is neither injured, heading back to his parent club or in need of a rest.
Indeed, he has not made an appearance since being dropped for the second and almost certainly last time in the wake of Leeds’ 3-0 defeat at Middlesbrough at the start of March following a series of errors.
The goalkeeper, 28, was jettisoned in favour of Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who took his chance with aplomb and then demoted to third choice behind Andy Lonergan, who was on the bench for the final eight league games of the season.
Now, he has been ignored while a load of kids have been chosen for a post-season tour.
With his confidence in tatters and his reputation at rock-bottom, it is difficult to see any other scenario than Wiedwald returning to Germany in the summer window.
Leeds’ problems extend far beyond the goalkeeper position and it would be unfair and wrong to scapegoat the £500,000 summer-2017 signing from Werder Bremen.
But Wiedwald has many too many high-profile mistakes to earn the trust of either his manager or the players in front of him. Essentially, his game is not suited at all to the demands of the Championship.
He is shot, shell-shocked and the impact on his Leeds career is terminal.
In other Leeds United news, it can be revealed that Andrea Radrizzani is ready to end the careers of 13 senior players at the club in a jawdropping cull.
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