Here is the Leeds United morning digest for Friday, November 20.
Alex McLeish addresses area of concern for Bielsa
Former Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Scotland manager Alex McLeish believes that Leeds United’s defensive record will be a concern for Marcelo Bielsa.
The 61-year-old believes that Leeds have shown themselves to be particularly vulnerable on the counter-attack in their successive 4-1 defeats to Leicester City and Crystal Palace.
After shipping eight goals in the last two games, Leeds now have the joint-worst defensive record in the division, with 17 goals conceded in total.
“They’ve got some injuries but those two games, I suppose, are pretty worrying, losing four goals,” McLeish told Football Insider.
“Again, the coach, Bielsa, said it wasn’t a 4-1, it could easily have been a draw or they could have probably sneaked the result (v Palace) with the Bamford situation if things had gone a different way.
“What do they have to do, Leeds? They were cut open and Bielsa will be a bit concerned about that, that when they go forward, they are sometimes vulnerable when the other team are counter-attacking.
“If the other team are breaking up and they have players like Zaha up there with the speed to go behind and others who come from midfield, then that’s obviously a tactic that Bielsa has to study.”
Neil Warnock questions overloading Stuart Dallas with minutes
Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has criticised Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough for failing to rotate adequately enough.
The veteran 71-year-old coach, who previously served as Leeds manager between 2012 and 2013, was upset by Boro defender Paddy McNair playing in all three of his national team’s matches over the international break.
Warnock also cited Dallas - who played every single minute for Northern Ireland, 300 in total, over the past fortnight - as an issue. The 29-year-old has also played all but nine minutes of United’s Premier League campaign so far.
“Paddy McNair has played three of the toughest games you could wish for and he has played almost every minute," Warnock told talkSPORT.
“I don’
t understand how him and Stuart Dallas can do that. There’s something wrong when that happens. You’ve also got to think of the players.
“We helped him up to the first game, but after that, I can’t accept that when there’s nothing else to play for.”
Leeds starlet signs new deal
Academy graduate Charlie Cresswell has signed a new contract with his boyhood club .
The 18-year-old defender is enjoying a breakout campaign with the Whites, having made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup defeat to Hull City. He’s also a regular in Mark Jackson’s under-23 in the Premier League 2.
He’s also been rewarded with international attention, having been called up for England’s Under-19s in each of the last two international breaks.
“I’m over the moon to sign a new contract,” the player told LUTV after the deal was announced.
“This is a club very close to my heart, so I’m delighted to be staying here.”
His new deal runs until 2023.
