OPINION
Barry Douglas is surely set for an extended Leeds United exile despite last weekend’s defeat to Sheffield United.
Signed for £3million (source: Sky Sports) from Wolves last summer, Douglas hasn’t quite lived up to expectations and he has been unable to get back in the team since suffering his second muscle injury of the season.
Instead, Ezgjan Alioski has thrived at left-back after demonstrating his adaptability with a series of eyecatching displays in a position that he has rarely played in during his career.
Alioski has started the last 12 matches on the left side of defence and played there for the opening 57 minutes against the Blades until, with Leeds trying to break the deadlock, the introduction of Douglas led to Marcelo Bielsa pushing him into an attacking role on the flank.
Douglas was guilty of failing to track the run of midfielder Chris Basham as he seized on a Billy Sharp pass to score the game’s only goal, while the Macedonia international inspired a gushing appraisal from Don Goodman commentating on the match.
“Absolutely brilliant. I’ve been so impressed with him,” Goodman told Sky Sports’ main event channel on Saturday after 50 minutes. “The left-back position is not something that comes naturally to him, but he has excellent energy and application.”
Douglas’ hopes of starting his first match since mid-January when Leeds host Millwall after the international break surely went up in smoke the moment he failed to keep up with Basham.
It’s not like he can rely upon Alioski getting injured. The 27-year-old is remarkably durable, starting all 38 of Leeds’ Championship matches this season, an honour he shares only with Mateusz Klich.
If anything, he looks even more effective at left-back, where there is less onus on him to create goals, something he struggles to consistently do in a more advanced winger role.
His goal and assist output this season makes him a key man, and Bielsa has showed he won’t axe player if he is fit, available and doing the business.