Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after three years in the top division of English football.
Whilst it was bitterly disappointing for the club and the supporters after getting a taste of the top-flight, the relegation to the Championship has provided a number of players with a chance to hit their stride in a Whites shirt.
Georgino Rutter and Crysencio Summerville, for example, have both emerged as first-team stars in the second tier after their respective struggles for game time in the Premier League last term.
Left-back Junior Firpo is another player who has benefitted from playing at a lower level, and manager Daniel Farke has played a blinder with the former Barcelona defender after Victor Orta brought him to the club.
Junior Firpo's Premier League struggles
Journalist Scott Saunders described the full-back as an "absolute disaster" during the 2022/23 Premier League season, as the left-footed dud struggled badly in the top-flight.
Firpo ranked within the bottom 27% of top-flight full-backs for pass completion rate at 73.1%, and the bottom 32% for shot-creating actions (1.38) per 90, which illustrates how wasteful and ineffective he was on the ball.
The 27-year-old flop, who assisted one goal in 19 league games, also let his side down with his lack of physicality as he lost 51% of his ground duels in the league, which means that opposition players were able to get the better of him more often than not.
Therefore, Firpo, who was dribbled past 23 times in 14 starts, did not offer quality for Leeds in or out of possession as they were relegated to the Championship.
He did not provide a creative threat down the left flank in the Premier League, whilst oppositon forwards were able to beat him with ease down the wing, which is why the defender was described as a 'disaster'.
Daniel Farke's Junior Firpo blinder
German head coach Farke arrived at Elland Road last summer and has deployed an exciting and dynamic style of play that is good to watch, as explained by BBC pundit Jobi McAnuff earlier this year.
The Whites typically line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and look to dominate possession to consistently create chances, which has got the best out of Firpo – who has completed 82% of his attempted passes in the division.
He missed the opening months of the campaign with a knee injury but has emerged as the manager's first-choice option at left-back, and caught the eye with his superb performances.
Appearances
19
18
Sofascore rating
6.55
7.26
Big chances created
1
7
Assists
1
5
Ground duel success rate
49%
55%
As you can see in the table above, Firpo's displays on the pitch have been significantly better than his showings in the Premier League last term, with seven times as many 'big chances' created and a 6% higher success rate in ground duels.
The former Barcelona defender was hailed as a real "threat" in the final third by Farke, who claimed that Leeds would not be able to afford the left-back if he had been playing as well as he has this season in the top-flight.
It has been a blinder by the German boss to unlock the full-back's attacking potential, even if it has been in the Championship, with his dynamic and front-footed system.
Hopefully, should he remain at Elland Road, Firpo will be able to carry that form over to the Premier League if the Whites are promoted this season.