Barnsley manager Paul Heckingbottom has admitted that his team could not cope with “big time players” Samuel Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski in their defeat to Leeds United on Saturday.
The summer signings scored a goal apiece as they ran the Tykes ragged in United’s much-needed 2-0 win at Oakwell.
Heckingbottom admitted Barnsley struggled to deal with playmaker Saiz and right-winger Alioski, who made his team look puny by comparison.
“There was a technical difference on the pitch – their big-time players performed and we didn’t as a rule,” Heckingbottom said, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post. “There was a big difference in the final third.”
OPINION
Life feels a lot better for Leeds after six points out of nine in seven days lifted Thomas Christiansen’s side to eighth in the Championship table and to within three points of sixth-placed Derby. Heckingbottom pointed out that Barnsley did not have players of their technical quality in the attacking positions of United’s two summer signings Saiz and Alioski, who have combined to increasingly impressive effect in recent matches. Saiz has been brilliant from day one since his £3million arrival, while £2.2million capture Alioski has taken time to find his feed in the English second tier. The Macedonian’s fourth goal in consecutive matches, another beauty following his stunner at Wolves, has emphasised which two players opponents must need to stop when they face Leeds. Both have magic in their feet.