Jesse Marsch has been speaking about the future of Luke Ayling as he still sees him as an important figure in the team.
As per LeedsLive, Ayling’s future at the club was in doubt with the arrival of Rasmus Kristensen and the rise of Cody Drameh, meaning the 31-year-old would be spending more time on the sidelines. Ayling had always been a regular in the side and has played over 220 games for the Whites since he arrived from Bristol City in 2016. He was a key member of the team that won promotion from the Championship at the second attempt under former boss Marcelo Bielsa.
Surgery at the end of last season and the arrival of Kristensen in the summer halted the right-back’s run in the team this campaign, but Marsch has spoken about the new role he has for the club’s vice-captain and key member of the leadership council at Elland Road.
Should Ayling be given more minutes this season?Yes, he is still important
No, move him on
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Marsch knows it wouldn’t be easy for a player of Ayling’s age to not play football and watch from the sidelines but he said, “My way of working with all the guys is to clearly communicate the plans and the next steps for them to continue to grow and develop, It’s even more important when they’re really important figures in the team.”
“That's the job. He's done that at an incredibly high level and he's going to get more and more playing time, I'm sure." #lufc https://t.co/SE7fRR7uyG
— Leeds United Live (@liveleedsunited) November 26, 2022
“Certainly Luke is that for us. So I’ve just tried to communicate decisions, I’ve tried to communicate what we need from him for him to continue to show, to be the example of how to handle difficulty with decision making from the manager and he’s done that really well and to continue to be supportive of the group and to be ready to perform.”
“That’s the job. He’s done that at an incredibly high level and he’s going to get more and more playing time, I’m sure.”
Ayling is part of the old guard at Elland Road with the likes of Mateusz Klich, Adam Forshaw, Jamie Shackleton and club captain Liam Cooper. The majority of fans would like to see these players either moved on and replaced or used as squad players, but Marsch may see things a different way. The American coach has already started his overhaul of the team with nine signings in the summer and more expected in January. I’m not sure what the future holds for the fringe players but we certainly need to be replacing them with better quality soon, and that’s not having a go at them, we just need to improve to go forward.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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