Leeds vindicated for Barry Douglas decision after Gjanni Alioski’s display

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With Leeds United suffering a number of injuries amongst their more defensive players in recent times, some Whites fans may have wondered whether they would rue letting Barry Douglas leave on loan.

Letting Douglas go would have been a tough decision. He was clearly an incredibly popular member of the squad. His departure prompted Victor Orta to pen an emotional letter to the left-back on the club’s official website.

But it also, unfortunately, looked to be the right decision. Douglas had not made a Premier League squad following promotion. And it appeared that he was well down the pecking order.

The injuries however, have thrown the pecking order into some temporary doubt. Stuart Dallas moved across the backline to right-back against Aston Villa. And that saw Gjanni Alioski come in at left-back.

Had Alioski struggled, questions may have been asked about whether Douglas could have been needed. It remains to be seen how long the likes of Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente and Kalvin Phillips are out for, so it may be some time until Dallas returns to left-back.

Alioski inspired in 3-0 win

However, any concerns regarding Alioski were put to bed with his display at Villa Park. And with that, any potential doubts over letting Douglas go will have surely also evaporated.

The North Macedonia international was excellent against the Villans. His work with Jack Harrison caused the home side all sorts of problems.

There were a couple of poor touches. But considering that it was the 28-year-old’s first start at left-back in the league this season, he could certainly be forgiven for the minor mishaps that occurred along the way.

Alioski reminded everyone that he will be ready to step up whenever needed this season. And with that, Leeds’s call to let Douglas move continues to look to be the right decision for all parties.