OPINION
Leeds United crashed out of the FA Cup in the third round on Sunday with a 2-1 defeat by fellow Championship side QPR, but a young team can hold their head high after a promising performance.
Obviously the FA Cup is not a priority for the Whites this season as they sit top of the second tier and look good to finally reach the promised land of the Premier League once again after a 15-year absence.
Manager Marcelo Bielsa illustrated just that by ringing in a raft of changes and playing a very young, inexperienced side against the R’s at Loftus Road.
Some youngsters came out of the match with their first-team prospects increased, while others unfortunately failed to rise to the occasion.
One who could not really be placed in either of those brackets and likely came out much worse than anyone was Tom Pearce.
The talented left-back was introduced on half-time for Aapo Halme in what Bielsa labelled a tactical change, before shockingly being taken off just half an hour later in favour of Kun Temenuzhkov.
This is the second time this season that Pearce has entered the fray as a substitute before being embarrassingly hauled off before full-time, with the same happening in the league against Nottingham Forest in October.
While Bielsa claimed that he was happy with Pearce’s display on Sunday, his stunning decision suggests that the Argentine does not really rate the 20-year-old flyer.
Pearce must be at a really low ebb after having this happen to him twice already this term, and you would not blame him for thinking about a move away from Elland Road.
The youngster has long been one of the highest-rated prospects at the club, but his fortunes just have not aligned with that assessment under Bielsa, who is destroying his confidence.
The Argentine has been a breath of fresh air in West Yorkshire this season, but his handling of this situation has been far from ideal and could be something which comes back to bite him at some point in the future as he slowly drives Pearce away.