Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan has dubbed Everton loanee Matthew Pennington "soft" for his role in the Whites conceding against Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road on Saturday. 

Leeds had clawed their way level against the Owls when Jay-Roy Grot scored from close range with just four minutes left in the game to make it 1-1.




But a ball sent forward in stoppage time saw Atdhe Nuhiu easily shrug off Pennington to go one on one with Leeds goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell and he made no mistake as Sheffield Wednesday claimed a 2-1 win in the Yorkshire derby.

Whelan is not willing to point fingers at head coach Paul Heckingbottom for the defeat and feels that Pennington was simply too soft when he needed to stand up to the challenge of Nuhiu.

 


"Pennington too soft, too soft", Whelan said on BBC Radio Leeds.

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"You've just got yourselves back into the game and an opportunity there to win your 50-50, and we come up short.

"It allowed a one-on-one and you've got to be stronger in those situations – and that's not Heckingbottom's fault, that's a player."

The pressure has nevertheless been turned up on Heckingbottom as the new Leeds boss has delivered just one win in his eight games in charge of the Elland Road club.

It had been suggested that Leeds could move to keep Pennington on a permanent basis from Everton when his loan expires in the summer, but the jury is on on whether the Whites will do so.