So, why IS Cook on Leeds United bench? Whelan questions Evans' move

Cook was not introduced until the 65th minute as Leeds fell to a 4-1 defeat against their neighbours at Elland Road.

Evans attempted to justify his decision not to utilise Cook from the start by stating the 19-year-old had been “on his knees” in the Roses victory at Blackburn Rovers.

It wore a hollow ring for some as did the decision to name Toumani Diagouraga as a substitute due to concerns regarding the former Brentford enforcer’s fitness – with the January signing being unused from the bench despite Leeds being besieged in a torrid one-way second half.

All this after Leeds had gone into the game seeking to claim a fourth consecutive league win for the first time since November, 2009.

Town, however, sauntered to their biggest win at Leeds since 1960 and made a mockery of United’s recent upturn.

Whelan, in his capacity as a summariser for BBC Radio Leeds, was concerned with the resting of Cook, who has played 37 games for United this term, and said: “Why Cook was sitting on the bench, I don’t know. He’d had a week’s rest.

“I don’t care if he is 18 or 19 years of age, he would have wanted to play in that match. It’s simple. I remember making my debut when I was 17 and played in lots of Premier League games and not Championship ones from 18 onwards.

“Let’s not talk about we need to rest him. I want to see him playing every single match.

“I really wouldn’t have changed it from the Blackburn game and felt we needed more midfielders in there. We never got near them.”