Leeds United: Darko Gyabi ‘can’t complain’ after Plymouth Argyle loan amid January exodus
Players like Darko Gyabi “can’t complain” if they aren’t getting an opportunity to play at Leeds United because Daniel Farke has to concentrate on getting promoted, says Paul Robinson.
The 19-year-old midfielder joined Plymouth Argyle on loan in the January transfer window, having made just five first-team appearances in all competitions since his arrival at the club two summers ago.
The £5million signing from Manchester City [The Athletic] barely got a look in when the entire senior midfield departed ahead of the season and has since seen Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev and Glen Kamara signed, with Archie Gray a rare breakthrough from the youth ranks.
But after a run of four-straight Championship starts for the Pilgrims Sky Sports pundit Robinson doesn’t think a loan move is a bad solution and isn’t concerned about the lack of a breakthrough.
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News he said: “They’re developing players, and players that were brought in for that exact reason. To go out on loan in January and get game time is vitally important for their development.
“From a Leeds point of view and the manager’s point of view you look at the squad that he works with. When you’re at a club like Leeds and the team are playing well, second or third in the Championship, looking for automatic promotion, they’re unbeaten this calendar year, they’ve won all their games other than the draw in the FA Cup.
“You can’t complain about not playing football when the manager is working with a squad that’s winning games.
“Unfortunately it’s not a time to rotate, or bring players through and develop them, when you’re pushing for promotion to the Premier League.
“Some players will fall foul of that. Players have been signed for a reason, for future development, but in the short term you’ve got to be realistic and the short-term aim is to get back up.
“It’s not time for the manager to experiment. It’s not time for him to bring players in and bring players through. It’s time for him to work with the squad that’s got them where they are and get the job over the line.
“And if that doesn’t include the fringe players then a loan move in January’s not a bad thing for them.”
Development not priority at Leeds United in fight for Premier League
The problem for the club is that far too many of the developing players have not done what it says on the tin and developed to a point where they are first-team ready.
Leo Hjelde and Sean McGurk both left on permanent deals in January, while Ian Poveda and Lewis Bate departed on loan moves that will see out their Leeds United contracts, just as Cody Drameh’s will from the start of the season.
Gyabi himself had a difficult task handed to him as a teenage midfielder who came the other way at the very same time local hero Kalvin Phillips was departing.
But for Daniel Farke to look past him to four other options when the first-team midfield was wide open in the summer isn’t hugely encouraging and the path is now crowded, so with so many other youngsters moving on without making the step up at Leeds United the chances of another joining the exodus look reasonably high.
In other Leeds United news, Adam Pope fears something one Whites player has done will come back to bite the club this season.
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