Leeds fans praise recruitment chief for under-23 additions.
Ask most Leeds United fans where this season has gone wrong and Victor Orta’s name will be a common response.
The head of recruitment has been under fire since November, and his reputation has taken a battering in 2018.
Leeds have won just one game this calendar year and after manager Thomas Christiansen was fired, the spotlight is on the first team players simply not being good enough.
As the first team flounder, the under-23 team is beginning to come together.
Leeds’ under-23s are now unbeaten in their last six games and the signings made last summer and in January are beginning to shine.
Oriol Rey, Alex Machuca, Pascal Struijk and Sam Dalby all stood out last night in the team’s win over Ipswich, while Jordan Stevens made his under-23 debut.
While it is perfectly fair to criticise Orta for the signings who have been first team failures, Leeds fans have recognised that perhaps the Spaniard deserves some credit for helping to transform the club’s academy.
Leeds’ under-18s are in the top three in their division with Orta signings Ryan Edmonson and Kun Temenuzhkov starring at the weekend, and the under-23s unbeaten run has turned their prospects around after a slow start to the season and they are now level on points with fifth place.
Orta cannot escape the criticism deservedly coming his way for the first team flops he has brought, but the under-23 success stories could end up saving his job, especially if they can step up to the first team.
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