A spirited second half showing from Leeds United wasn’t enough to secure a point against Manchester City as they went down 2-1 at the Etihad this afternoon.
Sam Allardyce’s first match in charge didn’t exactly start off well, with the Whites two down at half-time having been thoroughly outplayed and out-fought during the opening 45 minutes.
The second half was much better, and following Rodrigo’s goal with just five minutes left, there were genuine hopes that an equaliser could be found during the dying minutes of the tie, yet it never arrived and Leeds find themselves languishing in 17th spot in the Premier League.
Allardyce struggled to get a tune out of the vast majority of his squad, with Jack Harrison arguably the worst among the starting XI, as he failed to provide any meaningful attacking output during a disappointing display.
How did Jack Harrison perform for Leeds United?
The winger hasn’t enjoyed the best of times recently. Against Fulham in April, he received a Sofascore rating of just 5.9/10, succeeding with just one dribble attempt and winning only one duel throughout the tie – and today's performance was arguably even worse.
He was only on the pitch for 65 minutes and failed to generate anything resembling a chance against the champions, which will worry Allardyce heading into the final three games of the season.
Another 5.9/10 rating from Sofascore for Harrison was the worst across the starting XI, and he took fewer touches than goalkeeper Joel Robles, who had 45 during the match compared to a paltry 15 from the winger.
Even worse was the fact that the Englishman attempted just five passes during the match and was successful with just one. Giving the ball away against City is a fatal error, and they punished Leeds this afternoon.
His failure to deliver an accurate cross or complete a single dribble was compounded by his lack of physicality against the opposition defence, as he lost every single one of his duels contested – and there is no doubt he was a passenger for Allardyce today.
The 26-year-old went missing once again and these recent poor performances will surely be a cause for concern heading into the next few weeks. Can the manager trust him against Newcastle United next weekend? After this display, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him drop to the bench as the Whites bid to avoid their battle against the drop going down to the wire.