MOT View: Bielsa must drop Leeds player who is well out of his depth
Leeds United must make a tough decision on the future of Ezgjan Alioski with the left-back struggling to deal with elite Premier League opposition.
Leeds were easily beaten 3-0 away at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon, with a number of the visiting players failing to perform to the high standards set by manager Marcelo Bielsa.
Alioski was one such player, conceding a penalty for the first goal after tripping up Steven Bergwijn while trying to recover.
He was substituted midway through the second half for 21-year-old Jamie Shackleton and was awarded a 5.6 rating by WhoScored, the lowest of any player on the pitch, including Spurs defender Matt Doherty who was sent off for two bookable offences.
Games like these can happen, especially when you are a member of a newly-promoted side. However, on statistical reflection, this is a worrying trend that is starting to develop for Alioski and Leeds.
The only players to have played more than 300 minutes of Premier League football and have a worse WhoScored rating than Alioski’s 6.61 are Pascal Struijk (6.59) and Helder Costa (6.46), and both of those are not considered first-team regulars in the way that Alioski is now (he has started 12 of 17 Premier League games this season).
Indeed, Alioski’s worst performances of this season have generally been reserved for the elite opposition. Against Manchester United, Tottenham and Manchester City he has recorded ratings of 5.38, 5.63 and 6.03 respectively, his three worst ratings. Additionally, he was given a 6.06 against in the 3-1 defeat at Chelsea on December 5.
The 1-1 draw against Manchester City aside, these defeats to top teams have been some of Leeds’ worst team performances of the season, so one would argue that Alioski’s ratings are no surprise.
However, he was the lowest-rated starter in three of them and is clearly being exposed as a weak link in the Leeds defence.
In defence, he is not a natural defender, and he has shown his worth going forwards with two Premier League goals this season and was particularly impressive in the December wins against Newcastle United and West Brom.
His inclusion against these sides is not in question, as his attacking instincts and boundless energy is important for Leeds as they break teams down.
But, if Leeds are to kick on and progress, asserting themselves as a solid Premier League side, maybe with European aspirations in the next couple of years, they may have to eye defensive alternatives for the big games.
Stuart Dallas started the season at left-back and has generally been an impressive performer this campaign. Given his versatility, though, and 29 years of age, he cannot always line up in the role, and Leeds would be minded to start looking for younger options.
Clearly, Bielsa has some tough decisions as he weighs up the balance of his attacking instincts with the need to contain some of Europe’s finest attackers.
Starting with dropping Alioski looks like being the easiest one, with the 28-year-old regularly showing his defensive deficiencies.
In other Leeds United news, Ian Wright urges impressive attacker to do even more after Spurs loss.