da bet esporte： [ad_pod ]
da cassino： Speaking on Quest’s EFL highlights show Dean Ashton has criticised Marcelo Bielsa after Leeds’ dip in form.
United’s end of season collapse has seen them fall outside of the top two and have to settle for a playoff place.
The Whites occupied either first or second spot for the majority of the season but picking up just one point in their final four games has seen them condemned to third place.
Many fans and experts have tried to pinpoint who is at fault for Leeds’ capitulation, and Ashton has pointed the finger at Elland Road’s most influential figure.
What’s been said then?
The former West Ham striker has blamed Marcelo Bielsa’s management of his squad for Leeds’ recent bad results.
The 63-year-old has primarily been using the same core group of players with a lack of rotation meaning that fatigue may have set in throughout his side.
During the two games over Easter Weekend, nine players started both matches, showing the lack of options the Argentine has other than his starting XI.
As quoted by ThisisFutbol Ashton said: “Leeds aren’t the first team to fall away in the run-in, Bielsa should have managed his squad better.”
Easier said than done
Of course, it is easy to highlight a lack of rotation as a problem at Leeds United. They have consistently used the same 14 or 15 players all season. The harder part is coming up with a solution to this problem.
Injuries have plagued the club during this final run-in. Kemar Roofe, Izzy Brown, Ezgjan Alioski and Barry Douglas have all missed substantial periods towards the end of the season.
The problem isn’t Bielsa’s hesitancy to make changes. It’s the bare bones nature of his squad. If he wanted to start resting players he would have to call upon the likes of Ryan Edmondson and Aapo Halme; players who aren’t good enough to be key members of a team pushing for promotion.
Ashton’s criticisms of the manager are incredibly short-sighted and simplistic. Indeed it would have been preferable to have rested players during this run in. But that would have been made so much easier if there were a semblance of quality outside the starting 11.
Perhaps blame is better placed on Andrea Radrizzani for failing to bring in reinforcements in January, or towards Victor Orta for allowing the likes of Samu Saiz and Vurnon Anita to go out on loan this season.
There is probably nothing Bielsa would have loved to have done more than rotate his squad, but when he looks beyond his preferred lineup, there isn’t enough quality to justify making changes.