Former Leeds United head coach Neil Redfearn believes that if there are question marks over the balance of the squad at Elland Road then the finger should be pointed at director of football Victor Orta.
Leeds roped in Orta as their director of football in the summer, despite him being criticised for his performance in the role at Middlesbrough, and the Spaniard played a key role in helping new Whites boss Thomas Christiansen to overhaul the squad.
The Yorkshire giants made a good start to the season, but the wheels have fallen off over the last couple of weeks with Leeds losing three of their last four league games, including back-to-back defeats at Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday.
Leeds have struggled with the physical aspect of some of the Championship teams and Redfearn believes Christiansen shouldn’t be blamed as his team have played some very good football this season.
He feels club sporting director Orta has to be pointed at for the makeup of the squad after the summer transfer window and he believes Leeds lost a bit of their British feel to their squad that they didn’t replace.
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Redfearn said on Radio Yorkshire: “It's easy to point the finger at Thomas Christiansen and I don't think that's fair at all.
“I think to be fair to the fella, some of the football and the type of football they have played has been really good.
“If you want to talk about it, and we're looking at the balance of the squad or the merits of the squad, you're looking at Victor Orta.
“He's brought them in. He's the recruiter.
“They will all say it's a joint thing, but that's basically his job.
“There are I think 13 players that have come in the summer, and you're looking at the ones that have caught the eye – [Ezgjan] Alioski for me carries a little bit of a threat, he’s got something, [Samu] Saiz is a tremendous little player, [Vurnon] Anita has got that domestic look about him and has done well, and to be fair, big [Pierre-Michel] Lasogga has done well, but there is a British feel to him.
“So those for me are fits, but the rest of them, we haven't seen a lot of them.
“[Mateusz] Klich has played a little bit more, not sure if he is the answer to be honest. [Cameron] Borthwick-Jackson came, looked OK and has sort of disappeared. [Madger] Gomes, not sure, hasn't played much.
“You can go through them and see what contribution they've had”, the former Leeds boss added.
“Those that have gone, [Kyle] Bartley, [Charlie] Taylor, [Robert] Green and [Liam] Bridcutt, there is a domestic feel about them.
“If you look at the makeup of the side from last season it had a British team to it with a structure and a balance.
“Now it is a lot freer, a lot more exciting when they get it, but it looks like it could concede.”
Leeds return to league action after the international break with a home game against Reading on 14th October.
