Leeds: Pundit moots Daniel Farke’s hypocrisy on ‘difficult’ situation for Archie Gray
We’re delighted to welcome former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as our exclusive columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Leeds United …
Daniel Farke has been hypocritical in his treatment of Leeds United ace Archie Gray, according to Paul Robinson.
The 17-year-old has featured prominently for Leeds this season after racking up 1176 minutes of football this season, but many have questioned Farke for frequently starting the relatively inexperienced youngster. Farke seemed uninterested in Gray’s role with England, saying as quoted by Leeds Live (24 October): “I am not willing to rest Archie in order to have him fit for some under-19 games on international duty. He is paid for his job here, and we want him to develop good performances.”
Gray has been a standout for the Elland Road club this season has has earned plaudits. He was called up to the England under-19s, starting in all three of the young Lions’ Euro qualifiers during the international break.
Robinson noted the “difficult” situation for Gray in balancing his important role for Leeds and his international ambitions but criticised Farke for his treatment of the midfielder.
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News, Robinson said: “It’s almost the pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it? Farke’s playing him week in and week out, every minute of every game and almost saying when he goes out on international duty that he can’t play as much as the [under-19] England manager wants him to.
“If you’ve got good players, they’re going to get selected at the highest level and as a manager, you know that. It’s difficult to take because under-19 football may not be seen in the same light as a full cap is. If he was playing every minute for the [senior] England team, the manager couldn’t say a word.
“But it’s not seen as high profile, but it is because it’s part of the players’ development. It’s fantastic to represent your country at any level.
“The more minutes that player gets internationally, the better it is. It’s up to the manager to manage his training loads and minutes on the field. It’s up to him to look after him, but he’s fit and playing every week so there’s no reason for any concern at the moment.”
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay claims that big European clubs have been keeping tabs on a Whites player for a while and are still willing to sign him.