OPINION
Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa deserves a huge amount of credit for the transformation he has overseen at Elland Road this season.
Bielsa has improved Leeds in every aspect after taking the reins in the summer, with the Whites looking a totally different prospect in the Championship this season.
Their position at the top of the table is testament to that, and they are being heavily tipped to end their Championship drought and win promotion to the Premier League this season.
However, if there was one thing which Bielsa could be criticised for, it is his reluctance to place faith in his youth stars.
One youth player who has impressed massively this season is attacker Jack Clarke, with the 18-year-old earning rave reviews for his form for the Under-23s before being granted a first-team debut by Bielsa.
Obviously you could say that Bielsa is placing his faith in Clarke by handing him that debut, and that is true to some extent.
However, Clarke’s impact during his time in the first-team has been deserving of a start, with the youngster having now scored two important goals for the club in just 10 appearances.
His effort to bring Leeds level against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday was obviously irrelevant in the end after the 4-2 loss, but it once again proved that Clarke is ready for more responsibility.
He was unlucky to not score another as he cut back on his left before curling a fantastic effort just past the post, and he was easily their most dangerous attacking player with a dazzling display in that second half.
As the saying goes, if you’re good enough you’re old enough, and that is certainly the case with this young lad.
Bielsa needs to now start fully utilising him by giving him starts for Leeds, with the gruelling Championship schedule meaning rotation is key to their hopes of promotion come May.