Journalist Alex Jones has been left far from impressed by what he's seen from on-loan Leeds United ace Charlie Cresswell this season.

The Lowdown: Frustrating time of things

After being handed six first-team appearances last season under both Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch, both Leeds and Cresswell saw fit to ship him to on loan to Championship outfit Millwall for the season.

While things did indeed start very well for Cresswell keeping a clean sheet and scoring three times in his first six games for the London-based side, things have quickly gone south for the Leeds youngster.

Cresswell has now not started any of the last six league games for Millwall under Gary Rowett which saw him being linked with a midseason exit to another Championship club for the rest of the season.

The Latest: Cresswell flattering to deceive

It's fair to say that Jones who covers Millwall hasn't been impressed by Cresswell of late labelling his performance against Sunderland as a disaster while speaking on The Roar podcast.

He said: (18:10) "It's been really difficult for him, he's another one that's paid the price from the formation change because Millwall have a very set back three when they play a five which is Sean Hutchinson, Jake Cooper and Murray Wallace.

"If you move to a four, Murray Wallace then slides to left back and there still isn't a place for him in the team which is quite difficult. When there's been injuries or suspensions he's been able to come into the team and he's been kind of hit-and-miss.

"The issue I think he's had is at the end of the day he's had the chances to put in solid performances which he did especially at the start of the season two goals on his first game against Stoke, and he scored again a few weeks after that he's a regular scorer but the defensive side when it moves away from set pieces is the concern.

"You look at the Sunderland game when he had to come in and the third goal is an absolute disaster the way that the ball bounces as he goes to jump for it and it just bounces over him and straight into the path of Ellis Simms who rounds the goalkeeper and taps it in, [but] think that there is so much raw potential in him."

The Verdict: Leeds will be keeping a close eye

Leeds won't likely be delighted that Cresswell has been handed just 13 league starts this season in the championship as it'll be doing very little for his growth or progression as a footballer.

However, if he isn't performing to a good enough standard and putting in a 'shambles' of displays in high-profile games against fellow Play-Off rivals like Sunderland, then he can't have any complaints with Rowett.

Cresswell is indeed still young enough to keep developing and this poor loan spell could well be what he needed to bring him back down to earth after playing in the Premier League last season and this could indeed be the making of him as he will learn the hard way as to what he should and shouldn't do as a starting centre back.