Leeds United’s second string are in terrible form and are a far cry from the team developed by Neil Redfearn.
There was a time, not long ago, when Leeds United’s academy was full of promising talent knocking on the door of the first-team.
The likes of Sam Byram, Lewis Cook, Charlie Taylor, Alex Mowatt, Kalvin Phillips, Tyler Denton and Lewie Coyle all came through under the tutelage of former academy boss Neil Redfearn, but since the 51-year-old’s departure, the well looks to have dried up at an alarming rate.
Leeds’ under-23s have not won a league game since 29 November 2016, with the proceeding 10 matches seeing two draws and eight defeats; the latest a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace earlier this week.
The job Redfearn did in Leeds’ academy ultimately earned him the manager’s role, and while things did not go according to plan, new joint-owner Andrea Radrizzani should think long and hard about offering the former youth supremo his old job back.
It remains to be seen if Redfearn would return to Thorp Arch while Massimo Cellino remains in his current capacity as co-owner, but he understands what makes a good young player and more importantly he knows how to coach them to first-team level.
Much depends on the players at your disposal, and there is no doubt the quartet of Taylor, Byram, Cook and Mowatt were a class apart, but have Leeds really gone from having teenage talent in abundance to practically nothing worth getting excited about?
It is unlikely, and Redfearn is the man to change that, provided Radrizzani could act as a mediator and convince him to return.
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