Daniel James was a huge miss for Leeds United as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Millwall in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Leeds crashed out of the FA Cup after goals from Femi Azeez in either half saw the Lions walk out of Elland Road as the winner on 8 February.
Not only did Daniel Farke drop James from the starting line-up that beat Coventry City 2-0 on Wednesday (5 February), but also dropped the Wales international out of the matchday squad altogether.
This meant that the German tactician could not summon one of his best attackers as the Whites saw themselves two goals behind in the final half an hour of the game.
Dan James decision a ‘no brainer’
However, Aidy White has no qualms about Farke leaving James, as well as Joe Rodon, out of the squad to face Millwall, although the game ended in a defeat.
The former left-sided player hailed the Leeds attacker as “phenomenal” and said that it was a “no-brainer” for Farke to omit him from the squad, especially if there were the slightest of fitness concerns.
I’d be surprised if they weren’t [for the game against Watford on Tuesday, 11 February]”, White said on BBC Radio West Yorkshire’s Football Forum (8 February).
“Obviously, Rodon has, I think, been playing with a hand injury for a little while. I don’t know if that’s the cause or why he has been left out today or not.
“Dan James has been phenomenal, I know he missed quite a lot of chances the other night, but across the season, he’s definitely been one of our star players.
“So, why risk them today? It really does come down to the [fact that] we feel that the league is much more important than the cup and the decisions behind the team selection show that.
“Why risk two of your star players, it is a no-brainer for me. I do hope that they are now both available, but time will tell.”
Leeds United focus on Premier League promotion
Farke made 10 changes to his starting line-up to face Millwall and it was evident that he was not taking the FA Cup too seriously.
Let us be honest, it is highly unlikely that the West Yorkshire outfit would have gone all the way to win the competition even if they beat Millwall.
Furthermore, Farke will be ultimately judged depending on whether or not Leeds earn promotion to the Premier League this season.
The Elland Road outfit are well-placed to move to the top flight as Championship winners this term as they sit atop the table with 66 points after 31 games.
Therefore, it is easy to see why Farke did not want to risk his best players against Millwall.
It also gave him the chance to give some playing time to players who do not feature that often, although the likes of Josuha Guilavogui failed to grab the opportunity with both hands.
