'I definitely don't want' - Boss declares plan with Leeds United man after dismissal with admission
The plan of action with a dismissed Leeds United loanee has been declared with an admission but balanced defence of the Whites man.
Whites attacking midfielder Sam Greenwood is on a season-long loan at fellow Championship side Preston North End and the 22-year-old was handed his latest start for the club by new boss Paul Heckingbottom in Sunday’s Lancashire derby at home to Blackburn Rovers.
Greenwood, though, was shown a straight red card in the 42nd minute after taking down Blackburn’s Lewis Baker with a rash challenge which Heckingbottom admitted was probably worthy of a red card if consistent levels are applied.
Heckingbottom, though, who says he will be having a talk with Greenwood, also issued a balanced defence of the Whites loanee, declaring that similar challenges by other players had not earned red cards and that he was keen for Greenwood to keep ‘tenacity’ to his game,
Speaking post-match after the goalless draw and as quoted by the LEP, Heckingbottom said of the tackle: “Watching it back I can see why it’s a red. At the time, I thought he won the ball and it was a yellow card. He probably does, but Baker’s leg gets trapped underneath it.
"If they are reds, that’s fine, but we just want to see that consistency. No problem with that, but I saw a far worse tackle than that in the Sunderland game yesterday - and they ended up with 11 men and won the game one-nil. I think they are pretty easy ones to get right.
“I just said that I probably need a conversation (with Greenwood) and I will have a proper chat with him about it. I definitely don’t want to take that out of him - it’s a skill and tackling is a part of football. He has certainly got the tenacity and the mentality to go and win the ball back. It’s about doing it effectively.
"There is no malice in the tackle - you can see that with how he goes. He leaves the ground, but is on the floor when he touches the ball. The penalty is for his body coming through the back of Baker’s leg and you can see that. If that’s it, fine, we know we can’t tackle that way.”