Leeds United are currently sitting outside of the Championship’s top two.
Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has claimed that Leeds duo Ezgjan Alioski and Kalvin Phillips are proving that they are better players when they are ‘shoved back’.
Winger Alioski has been deployed in a left-back role by Marcelo Bielsa in recent weeks, while Phillips has played as a number 6 and at centre-back, with Prutton insisting he’s ‘not a 10’.
Academy product Phillips has arguably been one of the club’s standout and most improved performers during this campaign as Bielsa’s coaching has worked wonders on him.
Former Elland Road midfielder Prutton shared some interesting thoughts on the two players as he was seemingly more impressed with midfielder Phillips.
“He [Alioski] is a very attack-minded player,” Prutton told Talking Shutt (32:00). “But there have been several games where I have watched where his crossing has got a hell of a lot better when he’s been shoved back 20 yards.
“Kalvin Phillips. Same thing. He’s played as a 10. He’s not a 10. Plays as a holding midfielder and its ‘Jesus Christ, this kid can dictate a game’. Play him even further back and he’s ordering people around and growing in confidence.”
Over the course of the season, Alioski has played 35 matches in all competitions, scoring five goals and supplying the same amount of assists, according to transfermarkt.
As for Phillips, he has played 29 league matches, helping his team to 10 clean sheets, some of which have come whilst he has played in a back four, according to transfermarkt.
Nonetheless, the race to the Premier League is now hotting up with the Whites dropping down to third over the weekend after they weren’t in action and their promotion rivals took advantage.
On Saturday, they host relegation-threatened Bolton at Elland Road, with a point or a win potentially lifting them into the Championship’s top two depending on other results.
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