Much has been said regarding Sam Byram’s drop off in form with Uwe Rösler saying, in an article in the Yorkshire Post, that the constant transfer speculation was to blame. Now this has gone, will the real Sam Byram please stand up?
In the Yorkshire Post article, Leeds United head coach Uwe Rösler seemed to put the drop in form and being off game from Byram down to the attention from above, the Premier League teams such as Everton and Aston Villa who looked at the youngster in the early days of the last transfer window. Whilst this is an understandable set of events leading to Byram’s poor form, that was pre-international break and now we are one game into the post-international break. That game was against Brentford and, whilst Byram wasn’t alone in being off his game – the first half was particularly abysmal, the Thurrock-born youngster struggled to really assert himself on the game when Leeds United upped the tempo and began to put opponents Brentford to the sword.
Before I go any further, this isn’t a character assassination of Sam Byram, far from it. I like Byram, I really do. He’s a talented home-grown player and one who has served Leeds United for 126 appearances, totalling 10,196 minutes – scoring seven goals and providing 11 assists. But there’s something missing, there isn’t that zip in his play of late. It’s not a lack of talent, he has that in spades but is it a case of too far from home base? By that, what I mean is, has Sam Byram been pushed too far up the right flank, the further his skills and talent has been diluted.
For tonight’s game against Ipswich, where Leeds United have rolled out the 4-4-2 formation and brought Mirco Antenucci in as a second forward, Sam Byram has been dropped to the bench. Is this an indication that Uwe Rösler doesn’t think that Sam Byram or is it a case of Rösler responding to a loss in form from Byram? Either way, it’s a statement from the Leeds United head coach that a drop in form will only be tolerated so far. If he doesn’t fit when out of form in a 4-4-2, what will happen if his form dip deepens and Leeds United opt to start with a 4-3-3.
For me, and others, Sam Byram is not a natural winger but more of a natural right back with attacking tendencies and an ability to beat players. However, in a 4-3-3 system then Leeds would probably want to have a more natural attacking right winger than a makeshift one, irregardless of the latter’s talent. Leeds have recently bought in Jordan Botaka, a player nick-named ‘the Wizard’, on a £1m-or-so transfer from Dutch Eredivisie side Excelsior. Now, Botaka IS a natural winger and one with a bag of tricks that defenders dont like to face – a true 5-skiller on FIFA16.
Will Botaka be eased in as a natural replacement for Sam Byram on the right wing in a 4-3-3 formation and, if so, what of Byram? Will he drop back into midfield, if so, who will be the fall guy to accomodate him? You can’t see Tom Adeyemi making way in the 4-3-3 for Byram to be accommodated in the formation, nor Lewis Cook. Do Leeds United drop him further back, install him in his more favoured right back role? If this is to happen what about Gaetano Berardi who has been solid and at times impressive in the right back berth this season? Will it be a case of dropping him to accommodate the home-grown Sam Byram?
Questions, questions and more questions. They advance upon me like an invading army. But I still have the one question burning away at my very core: will the real Sam Byram please stand up?
