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Sky Sports pundit slams Leeds United over Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood 'mockery'
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...
Leeds United have been “punished” for January failings and “making a mockery” of their own statements, says Paul Robinson ahead of the final game.
The club failed to sign anyone in the winter transfer window despite having numerous key injuries, yet have still under-used talented youngsters like Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood.
With the club going into the final day of the season in the relegation zone Sky Sports pundit Robinson is doubly unimpressed with both the refusal to strengthen the squad, or to back up their own reason why not.
Speaking to MOT Leeds News he wanted to know “Where the blame lies.
“They’ve known that Kalvin Phillips was going to be out for almost all the season.
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“They knew that Patrick Bamford was going to be out for almost all the season.
“Yet they still refused to invest in January because they didn’t want to hamper their youngsters coming through.
“Ok, fine, fair enough. Play the youngsters then – Gelhardt and the other lad, Sam Greenwood.
“They made a statement at the beginning of January that they don’t want to sign anyone because they don’t want it to be to the detriment of the development of their youngsters.
“So play them then. They’ve not played between January and now, until recently.
“So it kind of makes a mockery of that statement, and it makes you question [them].
“There’s two lines to this story. One is that [Marcelo] Bielsa wanted a smaller squad and then refused players. The other is that the board didn’t sign players.
“Whichever is the truth out of those two statements, it’s a massive faux pas on whoever’s part it is because they’ve been punished for having a threadbare squad in key positions.”
Striker Gelhardt has only completed 90 minutes once since January, in the previous game against Brighton where his injury-time assist helped steal a point.
Fans were crying out for him under Bielsa, who often favoured Tyler Roberts, and even after he scored a dramatic late winner against Norwich Jesse Marsch has been reticent to start him.
Greenwood looked to have briefly overtaken him, and was hailed by the American for picking up his instructions so quickly, but he’s only played a total of three halves worth of football since the window across five substitute appearances, so by all appearances the club may as well have spent some money when they had the chance.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has perceived a significant change in Jesse Marsch who isn’t enjoying his job any more.