Ex-coach and ex-football player Joey Barton has never been easy to please.
He has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons at times and most times for his controversial views.
The latest person to take the heat from Barton is Leeds United midfielder Jack Harrison, who is currently on loan at Premier League club Everton.
Harrison has struggled to make an impact at Goodison Park and has looked the complete opposite of the player he was at Leeds United.
Barton has praised former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa for his brilliant work at Elland Road and how the legendary manager was able to get the best out of players who, according to Barton, were not that great individually, but as a team they clicked well.
“I thought Leeds, when Bielsa had them, they were a bit open to watching them, but you’d like to see Leeds even though they were struggling and Bielsa ended up losing his job.” recalls the former Premier League midfielder.
“I remember the first half and they were a breath of fresh air, you know, the way they played. They brought the game to everyone and had some really good young players on the team like Kalvin Phillips.
“(Philips) has struggled a lot at Ipswich. He struggled at Man City. But he became an England international at Leeds.
“Even Jack Harrison, he’s been terrible at Everton, but at Leeds he looked like a handful. They had the kid Luke Ayling who played at Yeovil before he played at Leeds, and he was a nuisance. Patrick Bamford…
“They weren’t these incredible players. But as a team and as a unit, I thought they were a breath of fresh air when Bielsa brought them back to the top flight.”
Jack Harrison has failed to replicate his form at Leeds United
The 28-year-old is without a goal or assist all season and has recently lost his place in the starting line-up at Goodison Park.
The player is still on loan at Everton and given how he is playing, the Toffees will surely not consider making the move permanent.
Harrison seems to have lost his ability to score or create goals which was common at Leeds United.
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