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Evans claims brutal assessment of 22-year-old has paid dividends
By Coral Barry
Steve Evans has claimed that Leeds youngster Jordan Botaka has improved dramatically since he was given a dressing down.
The Leeds manager delivered a very public and extremely brutal assessment of the 22-year-old last month after watching Botaka struggle to break into the first team.
Evans demanded Botaka step up his efforts in training and remarked that his performances on the pitch were not anywhere near good enough to warrant a regular first-team place.
Botaka has since improved his attitude and the Whites manager has insisted he has every right to criticise his players.
“When Jordan gets his chance, believe me I want him to grab it,” said Evans speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post. “He will get his opportunity.
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“Maybe some of my quotes about him were taken out of context but his performances have dramatically improved and if I can improve my squad by 20 per cent then I’ll say what it takes – and so would any head coach in the country.
“We’ve seen a great reaction from the kid since I sat down to and had a long chat with him.”
No regrets: Evans thinks his bashing of Botaka were good for the winger
Botaka had made the bench in Leeds’ last two league games, but did not make the squad for the embarrassing 4-1 defeat to local rivals Huddersfield last weekend.
In other Leeds news, Evans has revealed why the Whites missed out on top target Kyle Lafferty.