It was teased, strung out a little, but Leeds United fans knew that ‘someone’ was going to be coming in on loan before the window shut tomorrow. As it was, it turned out to be a third Chelsea player in Izzy Brown.
Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay, whilst remaining very tight-lipped about the actual identity of Brown, did say that the incoming player was young, from the Premier League and would be arriving as a back-up/to provide competition for influential attacking midfielder Samu Saiz.
As it transpired, and long before the official reveal, Leeds United fans’ ‘Sleuth Squad’ were already at Leeds/Bradford Airport armed with their cameras and snapping Brown as he came through arrivals off of a flight from London.
The club’s official reveal, after what the Whites fans had managed to unearth through their endeavours, was something of a damp squib. It’s a more than fair signing for Leeds United, with at least one of my friends commenting that his arrival is the “best of the lot”.
It’s definitely a brave signing, second striker Brown still in recovery from a serious knee injury suffered in January whilst on loan at Brighton, for whom he made 15 Premier League appearances. The on-loan Chelsea forward has been in recovery and training since then, the prognosis being that he’ll be available for selection in October.
Putting that aside, Brown is best known to Leeds United fans from the 2016/17 season where he starred in Rotherham’s relegation battle for the first half of the season, then Huddersfield’s promotion campaign in the second half.
His time at Rotherham was, perhaps, the more impressive – the Chelsea loanee standing out in a somewhat freefalling side. It is this stint that I am going to look at and compare to Samu Saiz’s 2016/17 campaign for Leeds United, just to see what the Whites could be potentially getting in Isaiah Brown.
Samu Saiz (2017/18) vs. Isaiah Brown (2016/17 – Rotherham) – two Championship campaigns compared
I have chosen the per 90 minutes formula as it allows the comparison of two players’ outputs on a typically expected per 90 minute performance, even if they’ve played vastly different minutes on the pitch. The following is their output for the respective seasons – per 90 minutes unless specified:
- Goals (total): Saiz 5 – 3 Brown (plus 4 for Huddersfield)
- Assists (total): Saiz 7 – 5 Brown
- Shots: Saiz 2.2 (1.4 outside box) – 1.7 (0.4 outside box)
- Goal Conversion%: Saiz 20% – 43% Brown (on target shots only)
- Successful Dribbles: Saiz 2.8 – 2.6 Brown
- Dispossessed: Saiz 2.4 – 2.4 Brown
- Passes completed: Saiz 29.9 – 17.7 Brown
- Key Passes (chances): Saiz 2.2 – 1.8 Brown
It’s clear to see that Saiz had a more productive 2017/18 for Leeds United than Brown did a 2016/17 for Rotherham. However, that’s not to say that Brown is in any way an inferior player. He’s a different player, that is all – but it is easy to visualise why Leeds have gone in for him as a back-up/competition for Samu Saiz.
Here’s what some Leeds United fans think of the deal to bring Brown to the Whites:
You can hear the sound of Huddersfield fans deleting all their good tweets about Brown 😂
— 🙂 (@Max_LUFC) August 30, 2018
Watched Izzy Brown a few times the season Huddersfield went up. Looked a very decent player. Be interesting to see how he does *once* he’s fit #lufc
— Thomas Bradley (@TBradley23) August 30, 2018
Positive signing is Izzy Brown. All in all a great bit of business we’ve done.
Would of loved to of saw us get another CB in though. Still can’t help we’re a bit “thin on the ground” there. #lufc
— Callum #LUFC (@21_lufc) August 30, 2018
The signing of Izzy Brown for #lufc is great business in my opinion, good technical player, scores goals, got a promotion under his belt, and there’s no way saiz can be this good for 46 games… and if he isn’t, who fills that void? Him.
— Kane Collins (@Kane988) August 30, 2018
The Izzy Brown sign covers a few bases for me. Much needed back up for Saiz, adds desperatelyneeded height and plenty of muscle too. So talent aside, ticks a lot of boxes #lufc
— ger byrne (@gerbyrne3) August 30, 2018
How we’ve managed to sign Izzy Brown I’ll never know #LUFC
— TT (@Teds_Thompson) August 30, 2018
Izzy Brown! Good signing that is, nice to have some quality throughout the squad #lufc
— Jake Edwards (@JakeEdwardss94) August 30, 2018
Even rival fans are seeing the positives in this deal.
Just seen Leeds have signed Izzy Brown. As if they needed to get any stronger; that is a signing that instantly signals how serious Bielsa is taking it. Genuinely think he’ll be the man to take them up. #LUFC
— Jake Moore (@JakeMoore352) August 30, 2018
Brown is a quality player and you guys should do well with him. Can’t see him unseating Saiz though.
— Romaine Reynolds (@Romaine_HTAFC) August 30, 2018
