Journalist Beren Cross has urged Jesse Marsch to play Jamie Shackleton at right-back amid Leeds United crisis.
As they head into the final stages of the campaign, the Whites find themselves in pretty dire straights. Indeed, they are stuck inside the bottom three with just three games left to play this season.
To make things worse, they likely won’t be able to play those games with a natural right-back option. Indeed, Luke Ayling is suspended due to the reckless red card he picked up against Arsenal. While Stuart Dallas is injured for the rest of the campaign.
With that in mind, Marsch will have to pick either Shackleton – who is really a midfielder – or central defenders Diego Llorente and Robin Koch to play on the right side of his defence, which is something he stated today.
Would you play Jamie Shackleton at right-back for Leeds?
Yes
No
Speaking on a Leeds United Live Facebook stream, Cross said he didn’t ‘fancy’ moving Koch or Llorente, and so Shackleton had to be the best option.
He said (04:18): “At right-back they’ve got an issue now. Jamie Shackleton seems to be the most obvious solution, because I don’t think any of us wants to see Raphinha playing as a right wing back.
“And I think I’d rather have Shackleton in there than any of the centre-backs.
“I wouldn’t fancy Koch or Llorente to do a particularly decent job at right-back. So I think Shackleton has probably got to be the guy that is parachuted in there.”
TIF thoughts on Jamie Shackleton and Leeds…
In fairness to Cross, Shackleton has actually made most of his appearances of Leeds this season playing on the right. Indeed, he has 13 Premier League outings this term, and has yet to play in the middle of the park.
And so, if he is asked to play there for Leeds in the coming weeks, it won’t be as if he is being asked to do something completely new. Even so, with so much at stake, it’s far from ideal and Marsch will have to think carefully before making his decision.
Over the weekend, with Ayling sent off, he asked Raphinha to help out with the more defensive side of game – something that didn’t go down with journalist Graham Smyth, who called the decision ‘crazy’.
As is clear from Cross’ comments too, this is surely one option Marsch can dismiss for now. However, he will still have to chose between either Shackleton, Koch or Llorente with a tough game against Chelsea to come later this week.
In other news: Brutal: Premier League star has just fired shot at Leeds on Twitter