OPINION
Leeds United manager Thomas Christiansen must be considering drastic changes to his team after a poor run of form and defender Luke Ayling should be one player under the spotlight.
The Whites have lost five of their last six league games and slipped outside of the Championship play-offs as a result.
The Yorkshire giants travel to Brentford in their last game before the international break and could do with a positive result, but the manager must be plotting wholesale changes to his best XI moving forward.
Ayling has been an ever-present in the starting XI this campaign and played every minute of the Championship so far.
The right-back has been a very consistent player during his time at Elland Road and become a firm fan favourite as a result.
However, for the first time since his stint at Leeds his form has begun to nosedive in recent weeks and he should no longer be guaranteed a role in the starting XI.
The attack-mined full-back was caught well out of position at the weekend in the build-up to Derby’s goals in the 2-1 loss and it is not the first time he has been guilty of lapses of concentration.
He only signed a new four-year contract with Leeds earlier in October and his form of late has not warranted that reward.
There is no doubt that Ayling will return to the form that makes him regarded as one of the most consistent defenders in the Championship, but for now a rest on the sidelines may be the best move.
Christiansen has the big ultimatum over whether to axe Ayling from the starting XI for the foreseeable future and he does have a brilliant replacement in Gaetano Berardi.
The manager has shown he is not afraid to make big changes following the axing of goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald, something that has gone on to help the team.