Voids at Leeds United have not come much bigger than the hollowed-out shape Raphinha left behind when he finally got the green light for that flight to Barcelona in the summer. In the 18 years since relegation, virtually no Whites player can attest to leaving the impression the Brazilian did.
Indeed, Raphinha’s club and country form this season is already leaving many scratching their heads whether Leeds ever even had a player of that quality in their team. The 25-year-old was a joy to watch, a comfort blanket on some dark nights when others would go missing.
And while many have come to terms with the fact he really did need to be sold this summer, that’s not quelled any concerns about life after the Brazilian, about replacing that attacking output he delivered. Another comfort blanket would be nice, another player destined for the top table of European football.
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With each and every passing week, Luis Sinisterra is filling that void. This morning, many Leeds fans woke up to that familiar feeling they had with Raphinha.
It quickly became the norm to clumsily grasp for your smartphone at 6am on the bedside table, unlock it and, through bleary eyes, try to make sense of the latest retirement the Brazilian had dished out on the other side of the world. Raphinha’s first week with Brazil memorably saw two assists in 45 minutes from the bench on debut before a brace in his first start at some ungodly hour.
These were exploits which left you on the verge of laughter. The winger kept clearing obstacle after obstacle in his career with apparent ease as the bar kept rising.
Many knew Sinisterra would be playing at 3am in front of 49ers Enterprises top brass at Levi’s Stadium. There was a narrative to be written, but would he write it? An assist or an injury-free run-out would suffice, but he did what Raphinha would do.
There was a brace, there was the personalised San Francisco 49ers jersey, there was the Leeds scarf, there was his face on the big screen, there was a personal tweet from millionaire investor Jed York. The Colombian ticked all the boxes and again underlined why Leeds fans should feel excited, or even reassured.
Maybe life after Raphinha is going to be okay. Maybe Victor Orta did find another South American maestro from the continent to rip up the Premier League.
That’s where this comparison began. In the week Kalvin Phillips was sold and negotiations with Barcelona moved forward for Raphinha, the button was pushed with Feyenoord on Sinisterra. It was impossible to not see the 23-year-old as the number 10’s direct replacement.
They are clearly different in their physical, mental and technical attributes, but Leeds are just hoping the result is the same: United wins. The injury in Australia knocked Sinisterra off his early stride, but his impact has been undoubted since that debut against Barnsley.
The number 23 has six goals in as many games in all competitions for club and country. He’s only started three of those outings too.
It is still incredibly early days for Sinisterra and it would be fair to say he needs a little more time to really tune into Jesse Marsch’s system. We are yet to see the winger dominate a match in the way Raphinha might, but what’s been most striking is his striking.
The way Sinisterra has steered these goals home has been magnificent. He has not been going for outright power or show-stopping ability, but precision and accuracy.
There is still so much to come from Sinisterra as he beds into this tactical style, but the early signs, even through backlight-stung eyes, are hugely promising.
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