Leeds United Talking Points: Dealing with the loss of Saiz ... the need for new strike options ... too many changes at Newport?

DISAPPOINTING: Manchester United loanee Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, right, was given a rare start for Leeds United at Newport County but the defender, pictured challenging Robbie Willmott, failed to make a positive impact. Picture by James Hardisty,

AFTER seeing Leeds United crash out of the FA Cup FA Cup third round to lower division opposition for the second year running, the YEP's Lee Sobot look at a few key talking points from Sunday's 2-1 loss at Newport County.

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Were nine changes necessary?

Former Whites head coach Garry Monk made ten changes to his side for the trip to Sutton United over the corresponding weekend last year and Thomas Christiansen went close to following suit by making nine changes for the clash in Wales. Like Monk, the Dane paid the price with Leeds again crashing out at the first hurdle to lower division opposition for the second year running.

DOWN AND OUT: Leeds United head coach Thomas Christiansen on the touchline at Newport County. Picture James Hardisty.

But in fairness to Christiansen, every one of his selected XI at Newport had previous first team experience and the Whites team fielded quite simply should have been capable of putting United into the next round, even allowing for the fact that pairing Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Jay-Roy Grot together upfront in a 4-4-2 clearly did not work.

United’s much-changed back five were also all over the place despite the valiant efforts of Gaetano Berardi at centre-back and to be honest the midfield were not much better, bar the odd glimmer from Mateusz Klich on a rare start.

As a Polish international, there must surely be better to come from him.

Still, it is right to question whether Christiansen needed to make as many changes with Leeds now having no midweek games until February and a stronger Whites side would almost certainly have put United in the next round.

BAD LUCK: Leeds United's Conor Shaughnessy (right) scores an own goal at Rodney Parade. Picture: David Davies/PA

A gilt-edged chance of progression gone but fair play to Newport and essentially Christiansen is now left with question marks hanging most of the players that started at Rodney Parade bar Berardi and maybe Klich with even the now well-established Phillips having a game that he will have been disappointed with in centre midfield.

Definitely capable of much better than that.

Will the defeat change United’s January plans?

The unacceptable loss at Newport made it abundantly clear that United’s squad as a whole is not strong enough.

And the need for a new striking option in particular is now more glaringly obvious than ever with Lasogga - once on the verge of the German national team - failing to make any impression against a side 11th in League Two.