Leeds United were sorely lacking when it came to goals from midfield last season.
Their central midfield trio of Ilia Gruev, Glen Kamara and Ethan Ampadu (granted, the latter spent half the season playing in central defence) found the net a combined three times in 131 appearances across all competitions. In front of them, in a withdrawn attacking role behind striker Patrick Bamford, Georginio Rutter added eight more in 51 games.
Often among the more frustrating moments of Leeds’ failed attempt to win instant promotion back to the Premier League were when speculative efforts from range, by Rutter in particular, went sailing high or wide of the goal without troubling the goalkeeper.
But with the arrival of Joe Rothwell on a season’s loan from Bournemouth of the top flight, Leeds might have found the answer to that problem.
Rothwell, 29, is not a flashy signing but he is a good addition in the sense he will bring experience and some valuable qualities to the side. Crucially, he has a proven track record of goals from midfield, perhaps the best among them this classy volley against Huddersfield Town in February, which was later voted Southampton’s goal of the season, while he was on loan to Leeds’ promotion rivals.
Your 2023/24 Men’s Goal of the Season is… 🥁
This Joe Rothwell ROCKET 🚀 pic.twitter.com/9L4mZBFaYc
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) June 11, 2024
He is primarily seen as a No 8 who could be used further forward if needed.
More depth in those areas is welcome but against the backdrop of an advanced deal between Leeds and French club Rennes over the permanent outgoing transfer of Kamara, the midfield picture could yet change further this summer.
Kamara, 28, was an important player last season, appearing alongside Gruev in the heart of midfield and impressing after signing from Rangers in Scotland for a reported £5million ($6.5m). Leeds are set to get nearly double what they paid for him, in a move that suits all parties given the additional goals and assists manager Daniel Farke would like to see from his midfielders in the coming season.
Rothwell should be seen as competition for that No 8 role, rather than a nailed-on starter to replace Kamara, and he offers different qualities to complement Gruev well.
Rothwell in action for Southampton last season (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
The past year has seen Rothwell, formerly of Blackpool, Barnsley (both loans), Oxford United and Blackburn Rovers, feature in a limited role for both his parent club and then Southampton after signing on loan in January. He made 11 appearances in the Premier League last season before adding another 16 in the Championship for Southampton, with his four goals aiding their promotion charge.
Among Rothwell’s best qualities is his ability to drive forward from midfield. He is a good dribbler and appears to almost glide while carrying the ball up the pitch, often effectively breaking the opposition press.
Below is one example from his time at Southampton, in a 4-2 win against Sunderland in March, where Rothwell scored twice.
Here he carried the ball from inside his own half with his team on the break before feeding Adam Armstrong with a well-timed pass on the right.
Armstrong’s shot was blocked and the ball fell back to Rothwell, who stroked it in.
A similar move set up his other goal that day, where Armstrong drove into the box and crossed with Rothwell latching onto a failed clearance to find the back of the net. His slightly withheld run here was key.
All four of Rothwell’s goals for Southampton were in games where he came off the bench.
After arriving at St Mary’s, Rothwell’s playing time was limited as manager Russell Martin preferred players he felt were safer in possession, although he was used when Southampton were chasing a goal.
While his goals were often crucial, Rothwell’s loan spell was not without its hiccups, with a difficult performance in their 2-1 defeat by Hull City in February particularly poor.
A product of Manchester United’s academy, Rothwell is undoubtedly a more attack-minded player than other options in Leeds’ midfield unit, although he is capable of putting in the hard yards to cover distance in games and makes important tackles to break up play.
With Gruev and Ampadu likely to compete for the No 6 role, however, the hope is that Rothwell will be free enough to make contributions in attack. There is a reason that Bournemouth were long-time admirers before securing his signature and tying him down to a four-year contract when he left Blackburn in the summer of 2022.
Signed by Bournemouth’s then manager Scott Parker, they had tried to recruit Rothwell in the January and made several bids but were rebuffed and forced to wait until the end of his contract.
However, after one goal in 35 appearances for his new club and with Parker replaced first by Gary O’Neil and now Andoni Iraola, Rothwell fell down the pecking order behind Ryan Christie and Lewis Cook, who are seen as more effective off the ball, while youngsters Alex Scott, Justin Kluivert as well as Philip Billing all offer depth in midfield, which left with little chance of playing time.
Rothwell should get more of that at Leeds and is a player with plenty of Championship experience — a quality Farke has said he felt was lacking in his young team at times last season.
In line with other signings of the 49ers Enterprises ownership era, this is not a headline-grabbing deal, but rather one that points to the rounding out of a more balanced squad which has every chance of winning promotion in the season ahead.
