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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League striker Darren Bent has given his verdict on the ongoing situation involving Eddie Nketiah and Helder Costa at Leeds, suggesting they could soon lose their heads.
What’s he said?
Leeds have preferred a fairly familiar look to their Championship side this season with the only real changes falling in defence.
There’s been a degree of rotation at left-back with Barry Douglas and Ezgjan Alioski playing this term whilst Gaetano Berardi has also had to step in for Liam Cooper in 2019/20.
The midfield and attack, however, has largely been the same with Patrick Bamford starting each and every one of Leeds’ league outings this season.
New loan duo Nketiah and Costa are yet to start in the division though. It’s a situation that has Bent rather scratching his head. Talking to Football Insider he said:
“They’re definitely going to be knocking on his door and they’re going to be asking questions sooner or later. What you don’t want to happen is, yeah, they want to play but they’re not using them enough, they lose their heads and mentally, they’re gone.
“When they do get the opportunity, they’re not ready for it. He needs to have a look at it, give one or two of them the opportunity after the international break and start again.”
Chances must be on the horizon
Bent has hit the nail on the head with this situation and given the performances the two have shown when they have got a chance, they’ve got every right to be banging on Marcelo Bielsa’s door.
The Argentine’s refusal to change things up saw Leeds go unbeaten for the first few weeks of the season but they were finally defeated against Swansea.
That side had a very familiar look to it but Nketiah was introduced just after the hour mark. Costa also came on with just under 20 minutes to go.
That was the first time they haven’t really been able to impact things. The pair combined for strikes against Salford and Brentford whilst the Arsenal man even scored against Stoke in cup action.
They’ve proven they can do it in a Leeds shirt and it’s surely only a matter of time before they come in.
Bielsa has hinted at using Nketiah in a two up front whilst Jack Harrison’s display, where he earned a match rating of six per WhoScored, demonstrates a gap could open for Costa after last Saturday.
It might be that following the international break they finally earn their first Championship starts. If not, their heads could start to wonder why they aren’t featuring.
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