Former Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton believes that Leeds United can afford to field a number of academy players as there isn't an 'expectation' to finish in the Champions League places.
Marcelo Bielsa has been praised for giving the club's Under 23s side a chance in the first-team in recent weeks, with Leo Hjelde and Lewis Bate impressing in the 3-2 win over West Ham United on Sunday.
Stuart McKinstry, Jack Jenkins and 15-year-old Archie Gray were amongst those on the bench at the London Stadium, while Joe Gelhardt and Cody Drameh have also benefited from game time in the senior squad this season.
Although Jack Harrison's hat-trick proved to be the decisive factor in the win against West Ham, Hjelde and Bate both played their part and it further demonstrated Bielsa's faith in the younger players.
Despite praising Bielsa and his trust in the academy, Sutton did, however, claim that the Whites have an advantage that there isn't an expecation on them to finish in the top-four, in comparison to Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
"Prior to Covid-19, Bielsa spent time coaching the younger age groups," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.
"Going back to my days at Norwich City, you can imagine being a youth team player across the county and your first-team manager comes over and takes the sessions, how good does that make you feel.
"I think it's interesting the way Leeds do things and the way Bielsa likes to work with a smaller squad and how he has faith in the young players.
"But you could argue he can work that way because there isn't the expectation on Leeds to finish in a top-four place, where there is on the likes of Arsenal and Spurs.
"Leeds have an advantage in that respect. Bielsa likes to manage with a smaller squad and he wants to give younger places a chance and I think that bodes well.
"They've had [James] Milner, [Jonathan] Woodgate, Alan Smith, [Fabian] Delph and it's been a real conveyor belt and Bielsa has carried that on."
Leeds will be looking to make it three successive Premier League victories when they host struggling Newcastle United at Elland Road this weekend.
