Clarke Oduor accolade shows he may have been a vital asset to Leeds United in problem position

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It might not be going too well for Barnsley in the Championship at present. But despite the Tykes’ five-game winless streak which leaves them staring down the barrel of relegation, it has been a good recent period for one of their younger players. 

The player in question is Clarke Oduor, who Leeds United sold to their Yorkshire rivals in the summer.

Oduor has worked hard to earn his place in the Barnsley first-team and has recently established himself as the first-choice left-back at Oakwell. Such form has even seen him win the club’s player of the month award. 

So did Leeds United make a mistake letting the Kenyan talent go?

TBR’s View

Marcelo Bielsa was a fan of Oduor. He even admitted as much when discussing his exit. As reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Argentine admitted that he only let Oduor leave the club to be fair to the player, so he could get regular playing time elsewhere. 

“So he would’ve been fighting with these players to play in two positions. The easier thing for me would’ve been to keep the player here.

“But if I did this it would be because I am only thinking about myself, because I know he has six players in front of him.

“He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity that he had. We have similar young players who are in a similar situation that Oduor was in, but they preferred to continue here.

At Leeds, that did not look like a possibility. 

The Whites had a long list of left-backs in front of Oduor in the pecking order. Barry Douglas, Ezgjan Alioski, Leif Davis, Stuart Dallas and Gaetano Berardi are all capable in the position. 

However, Douglas has struggled with form and fitness, Davis has undergone surgery for the second season in a row and Dallas and Berardi have been used elsewhere. Winger by trade Alioski has been Leeds’ most consistent left-back option in recent weeks and his form has been patchy since the turn of the year. 

Oduor might have been a decent option, as his performances in a struggling Barnsley side are showcasing.