Leeds United: Squad imbalance not playing in striker Sharp’s favour
Yorkshire Evening Post 27/2/15
Billy Sharp’s frustration over his lack of involvement at Leeds United revealed itself again in midweek as the striker favourited a number of Twitter posts questioning his absence from Tuesday’s defeat to Brighton.
The striker was included in United’s 18-man squad but sat on the bench as a tired performance ended in a 2-0 defeat at The Amex Stadium.
Head coach Neil Redfearn threw on three other forwards as substitutes in the second half – Edgar Cani, Mirco Antenucci and Souleymane Doukara – as Leeds chased a result.
Sharp’s first season at Elland Road has been a stop-start experience and the 28-year-old, who showed visible annoyance after being replaced in a defeat at home to Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, is yet to take his starts into double figures.
The tweets favourited by him on Tuesday night were critical of Redfearn’s selection policy and Sharp’s peripheral role.
Redfearn said: “Billy wants to play. He’s like anyone else. But if I’d brought Billy on then Mirco would want to play, or Edgar or Souleymane. You’ve got to look at all your options and at that point I felt it was an opportunity to put those three on, rightly or wrongly.”
Redfearn admitted again that he was unhappy with the depth of his squad, saying: “We’ve got strikers on the bench but a bit of an imbalance there too, which isn’t good.”
Billy Sharp’s frustration over his lack of involvement at Leeds United revealed itself again in midweek as the striker favourited a number of Twitter posts questioning his absence from Tuesday’s defeat to Brighton.
The striker was included in United’s 18-man squad but sat on the bench as a tired performance ended in a 2-0 defeat at The Amex Stadium.
Head coach Neil Redfearn threw on three other forwards as substitutes in the second half – Edgar Cani, Mirco Antenucci and Souleymane Doukara – as Leeds chased a result.
Sharp’s first season at Elland Road has been a stop-start experience and the 28-year-old, who showed visible annoyance after being replaced in a defeat at home to Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, is yet to take his starts into double figures.
The tweets favourited by him on Tuesday night were critical of Redfearn’s selection policy and Sharp’s peripheral role.
Redfearn said: “Billy wants to play. He’s like anyone else. But if I’d brought Billy on then Mirco would want to play, or Edgar or Souleymane. You’ve got to look at all your options and at that point I felt it was an opportunity to put those three on, rightly or wrongly.”
Redfearn admitted again that he was unhappy with the depth of his squad, saying: “We’ve got strikers on the bench but a bit of an imbalance there too, which isn’t good.”