“Its simple, he would like to go out if he isn’t going to play”- Phil Hay confirms Charlie Cresswell is pushing for Leeds exit after FA cup snub as player’s father aims dig at Daniel Farke on Social media
It’s no secret that Charlie Cresswell would like to go out on loan if he isn’t going to play for Leeds United since there is “ample” interest in him this month, says Phil Hay.
The Athletic reporter said on The Square Ball on 8 January that there is a “contradiction” at Elland Road between what manager Daniel Farke has said about the defender – that he is needed in the squad – and the fact that he isn’t featuring at all.
And after the 21-year-old’s father and agent Richard reacted to his omission from the squad entirely for the FA Cup trip to Peterborough United on Sunday with a post on Instagram complaining,
“Be nice to see him play again at some point,” Hay believes it won’t have been missed by the club and “probably doesn’t help”.
Hay said (4m 40s): “It was quite notable though that again Ethan Ampadu in at centre-back when there are other alternatives there. Liam Cooper, Charlie Cresswell who didn’t travel.
“His future does seem a bit difficult to put your finger on at the moment given that yesterday was the sort of game that he absolutely would have been involved in you would have thought…”.
On the post from Cresswell’s father he said: “Definite frustration there, and in my experience these things don’t tend to go unnoticed by coaches and coaching staff. Farke didn’t allude to it yesterday and actually didn’t say anything about it at all when we asked him…
“You’ve got this contradiction really of someone who Farke says he rates but seems to be a long way from the picture, and I don’t think it’s much of a secret that Cresswell would like to be playing more. I don’t think it’s much of a secret that, given there is ample loan interest in him, it’s simple; he would like to go out if he isn’t going to play.
“But the message to him and to Joe Gelhardt has been that they’re needed and they’re not available, and Leeds don’t want to lose them. Whether or not that stance holds interests me because you do wonder if these things will come to a head as the window goes on.
“In terms of Richard Cresswell’s Instagram post in particular, clubs and coaching staff tend to pick up on these things. I suspect Richard will already have known when he posted that Charlie wasn’t going to be in the squad, but either way it probably doesn’t help.”
It is no surprise that Cresswell and his father aren’t delighted that he appears to be moving backwards at Elland Road, since this was generally expected to be a breakout year for him with Leeds United.
Having gone on loan to Millwall last term for his first sustained senior action he returned to a Whites side that had just been relegated into the same division he now had decent experience in.
With Robin Koch, Diego Llorente and Max Wober all departing in the summer it seemed obvious that he would get an opportunity, but instead Pascal Struijk, loan signing Joe Rodon, and Liam Cooper have all kept him from getting a look in all season, as he has only seen single figures in Championship minutes since August.
All things being equal Farke probably would prefer to have the young defender available if needed, but the manager surely needs to give him some incentive to remain engaged in the mean time.
It would be hard to argue that either Struijk or Rodon deserved to lose their place, but Farke hasn’t even been giving Cresswell time off the bench, when there are injuries or suspensions, and is increasingly not even naming him among the substitutes.
If Ethan Ampadu is now starting in defence for a game against lower-league opposition as well then there seems little purpose in holding onto Cresswell in the face of loan opportunities when it is only going to frustrate him.
