Brenden Aaronson did the “most difficult thing” this summer by returning to Leeds United and has taken Graham Smyth by surprise.
The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist told The Square Ball (2 September) that he had to “hold my hands up” and admit the American has surpassed expectations after putting himself in a “very difficult position” to return from loan at Union Berlin.
Aaronson has so far proven to be a useful option for Daniel Farke with two goals in four league games this term.
Smyth said (12m): “He looks like a goal threat doesn’t he? To his credit. I have to hold my hands up, I didn’t expect as much from him, not even just in terms of what he was going to produce on the pitch.
“I didn’t expect him to front up and answer our questions in the summer and he more than happily came for an interview. Whether you bought what he’s selling or not he’s put himself in a very difficult position by coming back to Leeds. He could have tried to get out on loan again and just pretended Leeds United and angry supporters didn’t exist.
“But he’s come back, he’s said he really wants to be here, and probably the most difficult thing for him to do this summer was to say, ‘Actually, I’ll go and play in the Championship for Leeds instead of the Bundesliga’.
Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober returned to Leeds United
A less charitable assessment might be that the 23-year-old didn’t have the same options open to him this summer as he did a year ago and decide to knuckle down as a result.
But anyone can make a wrong move, especially young players, and if he continues to be more of an asset than a hinderance this term he can play his way back into people’s good books.
Willy Gnonto has done the same after attempting to push for a move to Everton a year ago, and Farke has arguably shown commendable pragmatism to find a way to bring both back in.
Smyth has significantly more doubts about Max Wober’s own return [Inside Elland Road, 8 August] but the Austrian defender didn’t leave before the deadline despite plans at Borussia Monchengladbach to re-sign him on loan [Marlon Irlbacher, 24 August].
After falling short last season and going through a transfer window that has left the relationship between the manager and the 49ers publicly frayed for the first time he could use all the help he can get on the pitch.
To Aaronson’s credit he seems to have focused on the task at hand and is so far seeming harder to knock to the ground than the relegation season, which is a decent start.
