Tony Dorigo: Leeds United left-back Ezgjan Alioski cannot defend
BT Sport pundit Tony Dorigo has slammed Ezgjan Alioski’s inability to defend with the Leeds United man looking set to leave Elland Road next month.
According to The Mirror, the 29-year-old has rejected a new contract at Leeds with his existing deal set to expire at the end of June.
It’s been widely reported that he’s set to join Galatasaray next. Turkish news outlet Fotomac has claimed this week that the only reason the deal hasn’t been announced is due to Alioski’s concerns about the reaction from Leeds fans.
The North Macedonia international has been strongly criticised at times this season. When signed by Leeds we all thought we were getting a winger but under Marcelo Bielsa, he’s mainly played at left-back.
Ex-Leeds left-back Dorigo doesn’t think Alioski is good enough defensively for that position in the Premier League.
“I tell you what, I think with Alioski you’ve got to remember what he has done for us in the Championship,” said Dorigo on The Phil Hay Show podcast.
“I’ve got to say, let’s just this out there straight away, he’s not a left-back.
“He cannot defend at that level to what’s required. We’re in the Premier League now, we’re looking to get into those European spots, we’re looking to go higher and higher.
“But Gjanni has done a fantastic job, he really has.
“I love his attitude and the way he applies himself but he’s just not a left-back and you can see that in certain incidents, his positional sense, but he’s doing a fantastic job.”
Time to improve
Leeds aren’t a mid-table Championship team anymore and therefore should really be trying to move away from players who were good in the Championship and nothing more.
While we love Alioski, he was by no means one of our best players for Bielsa in the Championship and he certainly hasn’t taken the step up to the Premier League as well as some of his team-mates.
He’s had enough chances to prove himself in the top-flight with him earning 32 league appearances for Leeds this term.
We’re not saying he’s been completely terrible because there have been games when Alioski has done really well. But he simply isn’t a Premier League left-back.
In fact, it’s hard to say he should be a left-back at all.
Alioski’s defensive play just isn’t good enough to play that role in the top-flight and he’s been found out a lot of times by opposition attackers.
His contract expires next month and with him reportedly rejecting a new one, it wouldn’t be a shock if he wants to move on because he’s unhappy with being played at left-back.
In other Leeds United news, this 27-year-old may have already made his final appearance for Leeds.