Marcelo Bielsa is currently engaged in his latest press-conference ahead of Saturday’s game at Derby County. As well as declaring Frank Lampard a “glory” of English football he has been discussing the young players, and has named four he’s impressed by.
One youngster is the forgotten player at Elland Road after injury, and a few games that he was forced to play in a role that clearly doesn’t suit him seemed to throw doubt in minds after a very positive start, Conor Shaughnessy. A central midfielder by trade, but clearly better as a defender. A 0-0 draw with Fulham at Elland Road at the start of last season saw him thrown in to partner Pontus Jansson, and what a game he had, not many teams kept out Fulham over the season.
Shaughnessy was asked to play his “natural” role of central midfield a couple of times but it just didn’t look natural. He was a ball-playing centre-back who was expected to step into the midfield and replace the likes of Eunan O’Kane and Kalvin Phillips who were struggling, the team were struggling and it wasn’t a good spell for him. He’s been mentioned by Bielsa previously and has again today.
The others mentioned were Tyler Roberts, someone who Leeds fans assume is more of a first-team player, Jamie Shackleton and Tom Pearce, another who fans thought was first-team. The signing of Barry Douglas certainly means Pearce is now second choice, if not third in that role but Shackleton has come from the under 23’s and impressed this summer. He looks to have a very encouraging role to play with the squad so thin.
