Leeds United have opened up a 4 point lead for the direct promotion spot from the playoff spot as they currently sit second on the Championship table. After the thumping they received against West Brom, the Whites have picked up maximum points from the following three games, and things are looking bright at the moment.
However, they were favoured by luck in their win against fellow promotion contender Sheffield United as goalkeeper Dean Henderson made a massive blunder in goal. However, one shouldn’t take anything away from young Jack Clarke who created that goal due to his persistence and quick thinking.
Clarke again came on and impressed after Bielsa chucked out Ezgjan Alioski at halftime for the second game in a row. The Macedonian’s performance has been well below par for quite some time now, and he is only continuing in the team because the Whites don’t have a reliable backup option. Clarke has impressed in his cameos, but he is still just 17 and learning his trade. However after being substituted at half-time for two games in a row, one can assume that Clarke is close to starting ahead of Alioski.
Bielsa also went on to admit that substituting Alioski had nothing to do with a tactical change or because of an injury. When asked about the winger’s performance, the manager was quoted as saying(Leeds Live),”It would be difficult to defend a position where you switch a player after 45 minutes and say he played very well. It was not a tactical substitution, it was not a substitution because he got injured.”
It’s clear that the former Chile manager is unimpressed with what the 26-year-old is providing on the pitch though he went on to defend the midfielder and said that he still remains an influential player. Bielsa added,”The value I give to Alioski is important, it’s still the same. My opinion regarding him is still the same. He will always have influence in the team. He’s an important player of the team.”
The manager has already shown that he isn’t afraid to drop big players as currently, Samuel Saiz is biding his time on the bench after he continued to underperform. Alioski’s work rate and movements are impressive but he often fails to come up with anything in the final third. The winger has no assist or goal to his name since 6th October and looks like a shadow of himself when he started the season.
The winger probably seems burned out and jaded so we believe Clarke should be given a start in the next few games. With the busy period approaching, the club needs Alioski at his best and maybe sidelining him from action could bring back the hunger in him.
