Leeds United youngster Jamie Shackleton looks at home in Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team.
Leeds are challenging for promotion again this term, with the Whites currently sat in second place in the Championship standings.
Leeds were also in a strong position to claim a top two spot last season, but their form dipped towards the end of the campaign.
And when asked whether he felt Leeds had improved this time around, Bielsa suggested that he thought the two squads were of similar quality.
“Let me think. Cooper, Jansson, Berardi last season. And today we have Ayling, White, Cooper. On the left the same, the number eight and four is the same (as last season),” he said.
“Maybe in the playmaker position last season we has Saiz, Baker and Brown. This year we have Klich, Roberts, now Shackleton is more involved in the team than last season.
“Nketiah and Roofe are similar, same function.
“Last season we had Harrison and Pablo, Clarke and Alioski, they are players that we keep.
“I think that the options are similar. Maybe we have less injured players this season.
“But also you have to think Shackleton is not the same last year as this in the sense that he has worked for one year and is closer to playing.”
While the comments aren’t the most optimistic, they must be music to the ears of Shackleton.
The youngster broke through at Leeds towards the end of last term, and he has always looked at home in their midfield.
Shackleton has already made eight appearances for Leeds this time around, although he has not featured since the start of October.
Leeds are in action again this evening, when they take on Reading.
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