Before last night’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, Marcelo Bielsa shared some comments on rising Leeds wonderkid Joe Gelhardt.
What’s the story?
Well, when asked why Gelhardt wasn’t in the starting XI, Bielsa opted to praise the £1m man when explaining himself.
The Leeds boss told Sky Sports: “In the last game, he came on and he unbalanced the game. That’s not something that is simple to do, and to have done so increases his chances of participating more frequently.”
Well, if Gelhardt was upset about being left out, he will surely have been made to feel a little bit better after hearing these comments.
Clearly, Bielsa admires the 19-year-old’s ability to turn a game on its head, and hasn’t forgotten about the teenager’s mesmeric display against Wolves.
After scoring six goals in seven Premier League 2 games this season, it’s no surprise to see Gelhardt involved in first-team action.
The Whites have a potential superstar on their hands.
Leeds must play Joe Gelhardt ahead of Tyler Roberts
In our view, Tyler Roberts has had too many chances to prove himself without doing so, and it’s now time to step aside.
If you argue against that, last night’s game reinforces our view emphatically.
Bielsa opted to start Roberts, who had just 17 touches of the ball before being withdrawn in place of Gelhardt in the 53rd minute.
In just 37 minutes, the Liverpool-born prodigy had 19 touches of the ball, two more than Roberts despite the Welshman having 16 minutes more to impress.
Additionally, Roberts hasn’t scored or assisted a goal in nine Premier League appearances this season.
In Gelhardt’s case, he has one assist to his name, in just 40 minutes of Premier League action.
Clearly, Gelhardt isn’t messing about, and it’s time for Bielsa to realise that he is simply more dangerous going forward than Roberts.
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