Ao Tanaka admits ‘frustration’ in mysterious post after scoring Leeds United equaliser v Liverpool…

Ao Tanaka expresses his ‘frustration’ in a cryptic post following his equalizer for Leeds United against Liverpool.

If there is to be a pivotal moment for Leeds United in their fight against relegation, it may very well be the past week, during which Ao Tanaka confronted his own uncertainties.

Leeds has moved up to 16th place in the Premier League standings, surpassing Nottingham Forest, after suffering a disappointing 3-0 loss to Everton. Daniel Farke has returned to the crucial point-a-game threshold, securing his position once more.

For Tanaka, however, the last few days could not have been more favorable. The Japanese international recently expressed doubts about his ability to succeed in the Premier League, but those worries are likely alleviated now.

He scored a stunning goal with a precise strike from his right foot against Chelsea at a critical moment, doubling Leeds’ advantage and instilling hope among fans that Farke and the 3-5-2 formation could indeed yield positive results.

Ao Tanaka candidly reflects as the Leeds midfielder shines.

Unexpectedly, Tanaka found his name absent from the starting lineup. However, there was no cause for concern, as the Japanese star would deliver the most significant kick of the match, equalizing in the 96th minute.

This goal sent Elland Road into a frenzy, elevating Leeds in the standings and providing Tanaka with further proof of his capability at this level. He shared his thoughts on Instagram on Sunday.

Notably, the Leeds player included a cryptic caption in which the £3.5m acquisition from Dusseldorf acknowledged his ‘frustration,’ while also stating that he is channeling that frustration into motivation for success.

“This is the effort of the team and the fans. Everything in life is always up to me. Frustration can only be transformed into energy,” Tanaka conveyed on Instagram in a message to supporters, a rather intriguing statement.

Ao Tanaka ranks as Leeds’ fourth-best player based on statistics.

Even though he has only started seven out of Leeds’ 15 Premier League matches this season, Tanaka is proving to be one of the team’s most influential players, having already netted two vital goals from midfield.

Additionally, he has shown impressive performance in a revamped system. With Sean Longstaff sidelined due to injury, Tanaka is expected to receive increased playing time throughout the month until Longstaff resumes training and is available again.

Name Rating

1. Anton Stach 7.11

2. Sean Longstaff 7.08

3. Ethan Ampadu 6.99

4. Ao Tanaka 6.87

5. Noah Okafor 6.78

However, Longstaff may struggle to reclaim his position from Tanaka. According to the statistics from FotMob, Tanaka stands as the fourth-best player for Leeds this season, despite having started in less than half of the games.

There is still a long journey ahead, and he acknowledges this himself. Concerns have been raised about Tanaka’s physicality, but as he referred to Willy Gnonto this weekend, he considers himself a game changer.