Former Everton defender and current Sky Sports pundit Joleon Lescott has compared Championship promotion rivals Leeds United and West Brom and insisted both are missing qualities needed for the top flight.
The Whites sank the Baggies 4-0 last weekend in what was a crunch clash at the top of the table, a result which left Darren Moore and his men nine points off the top and seven from Leeds in second.
Comparing the two clubs, Lescott says that West Brom have the Premier League experience necessary in the squad but lack the know how from the dugout, while insists that it is completely the opposite for Leeds with Marcelo Bielsa as manager.
Asked which of the promotion chasers were best suited for the top flight, he told Sky Sports’ The Debate (06/03, 22:00): “Manager-wise I would say Leeds. But personnel wise, they won’t have many Premier League players that have played in the Premier League to this day.
“They are going to, kind of, recruit a lot of experience. Then you flip it around and go West Brom got loads of Premier League experience, but the manager isn’t as experienced as Bielsa so to have the whole package, not one club who has the whole package at this moment in time.”
Opinion
An interesting claim from Lescott, who is obviously forgetting that it was Moore’s impressive spell in charge at the Hawthorns during the season that they were relegated which ended up earning him the role. Obviously Bielsa has absolutely transformed that Leeds side and their lack of experience should not play any factor in the Championship or the Premier League should he stay at the helm. They often say that one man does not make the difference but Bielsa and Leeds are bucking that trend quite remarkably. It would be interesting to see both sides battling it out in the top flight come August but it seems as though if the Baggies are to be back among the big boys they will have to do it via the play offs. Leeds meanwhile need to keep up their good form with Sheffield United breathing down their necks. It promises to be a nail biting end to the season.