Leeds United kept their survival hopes alive with a vital 2-2 draw at home to Premier League high-flyers Newcastle United on Saturday, with interim boss Sam Allardyce picking up his first point since replacing Javi Gracia in the dugout earlier this month.

There will undoubtedly still be a sense of frustration for the experienced Englishman that his side weren't able to win the game, however, with striker Patrick Bamford notably squandering a gilt-edged chance from the penalty spot to extend the Whites' early lead.

The misfiring marksman was not alone in having underwhelmed against the Magpies, with January arrival Weston McKennie also enduring another tough afternoon, notably losing possession on 14 occasions as a marker of his woes on the ball, while also winning just 50% of his total duels.

As Leeds Live's Beren Cross noted, the United States international simply did not show 'enough consistency with or without the ball in the engine room', with it having been 'another afternoon [when] you're left struggling to see what he brings beyond a long throw.'

Such woes have been a theme of the Juventus loanee's time at Elland Road to date, with pundit Jon Newsome recently suggesting that the 24-year-old looks "out of his depth", while journalist Dean Jones branded the midfielder as looking "slow" and "lazy" when he is "not playing well".

With compatriot Tyler Adams having been ruled out for the season, Allardyce is limited with regard to potential replacements for the struggling McKennie, albeit with it perhaps time to turn to the experienced head of Adam Forshaw for the final two games of the campaign.

Should Forshaw now start for Leeds?

It has been yet another injury-ravaged season for Forshaw thus far, although the 31-year-old has forced himself back into the frame in recent weeks, having been praised by the aforementioned Newsome (BBC Radio Leeds, 30/04/2023) after he "did well" off the bench in the recent defeat to AFC Bournemouth.

That brief impact led to a rare start for the former Middlesbrough man for the subsequent 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City, with the Englishman having been 'one of few to get a foot on the ball and try to make something happen', according to Yorkshire Evening Post's Graham Smyth.

Somewhat surprisingly, the £20k-per-week gem was then omitted from the starting lineup for Saturday's clash with Eddie Howe's men, albeit while again making a strong impression as a second-half substitute, having 'brought a little composure to the chaos', as per Smyth.

The 5 foot 9 ace was able to register three tackles during his 45-minute outing and also register one key pass in that time as a marker of his creative impact, with the Liverpool-born ace's 7.1 match rating, as per Sofascore, having been superior to that of McKennie's (6.7).

With the latter man having had more than enough chances to impress in recent months, Allardyce should make the bold decision to put his faith in the "brilliant" Forshaw over the coming weeks, as hailed by Leeds legend Jermaine Beckford, with time now running out for the Yorkshire side in the battle to stave off the drop.