Leeds United manager praises Conor Shaughnessy’s impact.
Leeds United boss Thomas Christiansen has praised Conor Shaughnessy’s performance in the 0-0 draw with Fulham
Christiansen told BBC Radio Leeds that Liam Cooper had suffered an injury in training and he did not want to risk the Scotland international.
This led to a first league start for the inexperienced Shaughnessy, and Christiansen felt he coped well but still has room to improve.
He said: “He is an intelligent player, has a good understanding.
“Today sometimes he didn’t the take right decision but he is very young, has a lot to learn, but I’m happy with how he played.
“It’s not easy against a powerful team like Fulham, the strikers are very fast. He had a good game. We had a problem with Cooper and he replaced him very well.”
The fact Leeds kept a clean sheet will be a huge confidence boost for the 20-year-old, but his presence in the starting line-up underlines just how thin the club are at centre-back.
Buying another has to be a priority before the transfer window closes, as while their more immediate problem is finding the right combination in attack, the thin defensive options at Leeds’ disposal has potential to derail their season.
Shaughnessy is showing to be a valuable option but it would be a big gamble to keep relying on the unproven youngster all season long.
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