Academy Trio Rejuvenating LeedsThe referee Stuart Atwell blew the full time whistle securing Leeds a much needed three points in Saturday’s victory over Blackpool. Alex Mowatt and Lewis Cook embraced on the pitch followed by Sam Byram. For the second game in a row, all put in exceptional performances for a rejuvenated Leeds United.
It has been an inconsistent season for the academy trio; Mowatt was protected from the match day squads by Dave Hockaday (Due to injury) Cook was put into a protected bubble by the Hocks predecessor Darko Milanic, and Byram was in one week out the next with the unpredictable Gaetano Berardi taking his place. The man (Neil Redfearn) that the fans wanted from day one, knows what all three players can bring to this club making it a point to include them in his three games in charge.
When Redders returned back to the Elland Road dugout, Mowatt found a new lease of life contributing to three goals in as many games. For me, I believe Cook brings out the best in Alex. It’s something I’ve kept a keen eye on all season and the link up play between the two is quite exceptional at times. In the early months of the season when Hockaday and Milanic protected Cook by bringing him off during games, Mowatt’s overall performances seemed to decline, he would then eventually drift out of games. What I like about Mowatt this season is the way he has developed his overall game and has learnt a lot from his debut season last year. I see a lot of resemblance to when Fabian Delph broke into the Leeds squad in our glory days of League One. What we have from Alex this season is a goal scoring midfielder who can produce that bit of magic in a flash. We’re not the only ones, the power of the Premier league clubs are also reportedly keeping tabs on his progress
At only 17, yes 17! Lewis Cook has had a fantastic debut season in the Leeds United first team up to now. He is a battling ankle biter of a player that we’ve missed for some time now in our midfield. What summed him up perfectly for me, was a winning challenge on Blackpool’s Ishmael Miller as he was about to break out an attack, when Leeds were under pressure. Miller is twice his size but Cook didn’t show any fear. ‘Fear’ is a word Cook isn’t afraid of; on numerous of occasions we can see these type of challenges. With the right coaching and man management he will continue to develop into something special for this club.
After impressing under Neil Warnock’s tenure at the club in the 2012-13 season, Byram was one of the most sought after youngsters outside the Premiership. The following season Byram was inconsistent after a serious hip injury. Towards the end of the last campaign, Sam began to look his best again and this season we all expected to see him kick on. With the arrival of Berradi and the chopping and changing of coaches, Byram was in and out, this prevented him to get a real run of games and form together. Again, like Mowatt and Cook the full time appointment of Redders has given him a new sense of life. So much so, Neil Redfearn said the following about Sam:
“He’s still young. It’s maybe one of those situations where we’ve taken it for granted that he’s Sam Byram. We’ve lost sight of the fact that he’s still young and still developing. Perhaps mentally he can’t handle the tag of being this top young full-back yet and we probably haven’t handled his development as well as it could have been handed.
â€
Redders coming out in praise for Sam seemed to have done him a world of good and in yesterday’s win we started to see signs of the talent we all knew he had.
Mowatt, Cook and Byram may all be first team starters, rightly so, this can only be great encouragement to the very talented youngsters we have in the academy now knocking on the gaffers door. We saw in the defeat at Cardiff Chris Dawson get a late chance although following that he has been on the bench the last two games. Young left back Charlie Taylor is ‘chomping at the bit’ waiting, while an in form Stephen Warnock to displace, his time will eventually come. To add, we have young emerging talents such as Adam Berry, Luke, Parkin, Tyler Denton and others. The young lads need to look at the likes of current England internationals James Milner, Danny Rose and more recently Fabian Delph to see they are developing their careers through the right academy. The future’s bright, the future is youth.
Reporter – Matthew McKeith
http://rightinthegarykellys.com/2014/11/09/academy-trio-rejuvenating-leeds/?