COMMENT
Marcelo Bielsa’s admission that he is struggling to give game time to Leeds United trio Eunan O’Kane, Caleb Ekuban and Vurnon Anita has surely offered a damning hint about their futures at Elland Road.
None of the three players have featured for the Whites in the club’s opening three games of the campaign and it looks as though they are not expected to be included any time soon either.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Rotherham game on Saturday, Bielsa was asked about the three fringe players and suggested that he is finding it hard to find a place for them in his first team plans.
“When a player has a history as a footballer player, one way to respect them is to keep them inside the team if they have the possibility to play in another position. But if we have one position with three players, it’s difficult,” he said, as quoted by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay on his personal Twitter account on Thursday.
Bielsa on O'Kane/Ekuban/Anita futures: "When a player has a history as a footballer player, one way to respect them is to keep them inside the team if they have the possibility to play in another position. But if we have one position with three players, it's difficult."
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) August 16, 2018
While it is understandable that the one-dimensional pair of O’Kane and Ekuban have struggled for a spot in Bielsa’s plans, it’s hard to understand how Bielsa’s claim applies to Anita.
The Leeds manager clearly believes that versatility is a key characteristic that he wants among his squad, yet Anita is arguably the most versatile player he has on his hands.
The former Newcastle player can play at both right-back and left-back, as well as in the centre of midfield.
But it’s clearly not a matter of versatility with Anita though as he is just not good enough, and Bielsa is obviously not going to admit that in a press conference as that would absolutely destroy the player’s confidence and hinder a potential move away from Elland Road.
It cannot be a good time for O’Kane, Ekuban and Anita because it certainly looks as though the Whites are preparing to cash in before the end of August.
However Bielsa must be ruthless if he wants to be a success at Elland Road, and offloading deadwood is simply part and parcel of the job.