BBC pundit shares honest Ethan Ampadu verdict despite Leeds United defeat v Birmingham City
Neil Redfearn was impressed by Ethan Ampadu despite Leeds United falling to a defeat at Birmingham City on Saturday (12 August).
Speaking on BBC Radio Leeds, the former Whites boss was impressed by the midfielder’s defensive side of the game as his side suffered a narrow 1-0 loss, courtesy of an injury-time penalty from Lukas Jutkiewicz.
But the BBC pundit felt it was perhaps a “game too far” for Archie Gray as the 17-year-old struggled to have the same impact as he did in his debut against Cardiff City last weekend (6 August).
“I never thought Leeds looked right in midfield, if I’m honest, apart from Ampadu,” said Redfearn. “I thought Ampadu played well – he did the defensive stuff quite well.
“I thought it was probably a game too far for Archie Gray today. He wasn’t in it much. It was quite physical. He had moments where he did some really good things, but we’re asking a lot if we’re expecting a 17-year-old to win us the game.”
Asking too much
It’s no surprise to see that Ampadu has got off to a good start to his Leeds career after all the praise that came in for him following his move to Elland Road.
He does the necessary dirty bits in midfield well and doesn’t try to overcomplicate his game, but he probably needs a bit more help in the middle of the park.
Although Gray impressed on his debut against Cardiff, it’s an awful lot to ask a 17-year-old to start three games in a row in the space of six days in his first taste of professional football.
He is a good option to have and should be in and around the first-team picture, but some more experienced players in midfield are desperately needed if the Whites are to mount a promotion challenge.
When you look at the club’s promotion rivals, they have a number of players capable of playing in the Championship that could probably do a job in the Premier League, so new recruits are needed in that department as soon as possible.
In other Leeds United news, the real reason Willy Gnonto wants to leave Elland Road has been revealed.