McLeish raises Leeds fears pre-Wolves after five kids named on the bench
Alex McLeish has raised fears over the lack of experience among the Leeds United squad this season.
The former Aston Villa and Scotland manager, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, admitted young players had the potential to burst onto the scene but insisted they “don’t have all the answers” to solve the Whites’ issues.
Marcelo Bielsa named five academy prospects with little to no first-team experience on the bench against Arsenal on Monday night, with 20-year-old Niall Huggins handed his senior debut in north London.
The Whites slipped to a 4-2 defeat against the Gunners, having gone 4-0 down, and currently sit 11th in the Premier League table.
McLeish suggested while the young players may have brought a lot of enthusiasm and desire to the side, Bielsa needed more experience to call upon from the bench.
McLeish told Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge: “They could be young players of the future but definitely inexperience is obviously a factor.
“Young players normally come into the team and they’re raring to go, they really give it everything in it and they standout in their first few games if they do have a bit of quality within them.
“Then sometimes they hit that dip, they rise for a few games, getting a few minutes and substitutions, if they have the quality, but they will come again.
“Unfortunately they don’t have all the answers straight away, unlike the Class of 92, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team, so yeah, it’s not easy when you’re throwing these young guys into the Premier League.”
Of the nine outfield substitutes named against Arsenal, only Pablo Hernandez, Tyler Roberts and Helder Costa had any meaningful first-team experience under their belts.
In other news, Kevin Phillips has backed Leeds United to unleash their “secret weapon” v Wolves.