Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan says that Ezgjan Alioski has played his way back into a regular starting position for the club in recent weeks.
It has been something of an inconsistent season in terms of opportunities for Alioski, who has started 13 of his 20 Championship appearances this season, with just two of those starts coming in their last ten games.
Indeed, having started and scored in Leeds' 2-0 win at Huddersfield in early December, Alioski then found himself featuring only from the bench in each of his side's next three games.
But having come off the bench early in the third of those games against Fulham following an injury to Pablo Hernandez last Saturday, before playing the full 90 minutes against Preston on Boxing Day, it seems Whelan feels the Macedonian has forced his way back into the starting lineup for Marcelo Bielsa's side.
Speaking to Football Insider ahead of Leeds' clash with Birmingham in Sunday, Whelan was asked if Alioski could now be a regular from the start in the next few weeks, with the 44-year-old saying: “Yeah, I think so. He was unlucky to be getting a start after scoring two goals in two games, coming on as a substitute.
“He’s stayed positive, he’s a team player, you can see that. He never spits his dummy out, he gets on with his job and he’s got to be a great player to work with."
Reflecting on Alioski's performance across the course of the 90 minutes on Boxing Day, Whelan continued: “Against Preston, I felt that he just worked and worked and worked up and down that line, he’s got loads of energy, he likes to get in the good positions. To be honest with you, he definitely should have scored one, maybe two.”
Leeds go into that game with Birmingham second in the Championship table, eight points clear of the play-off places, and will be looking to end a run of three games without a win when they make the trip to St Andrews'.
The Verdict
I think Whelan does have a point here.
Alioski has been a consistently reliable figure for Leeds in the past few seasons, just as he has been in recent weeks, so Bielsa should have no qualms turning to him in the coming weeks.
Indeed, with Alioski's popularity and versatility making him a big asset for Leeds both on the pitch and in the stands, it does seem as though turning to the Macedonian could provide them with a significant boost should they need one when the going gets tough at any point this season.