Kristensen has been Leeds’ first-choice right-back this season but he has come in for criticism at Elland Road, both for his lack of contribution going forward and his defensive displays.
Firpo though has only found limited game-time this term with Leeds and even after coming back from injury has struggled to get into the team.
Newsome criticised Kristensen for not only being inefficient defensively but also for not providing a threat while attacking like some other wing-backs.
The ex-Leeds defender thinks both Kristensen and Firpo are not good enough to even be second-fiddle at Elland Road, even though the Whites paid a lot of money for them.
Speaking on BBC Radio Leeds following the Cardiff City draw, Newsome said: “He [Kristensen] doesn’t see that threat, he doesn’t sense the danger of what’s behind him.
“As a full-back I was always, I was a totally different kind of player but, it’s always drilled into you about defending your goal, don’t put things at risk and he doesn’t seem to be that way.
“If you’re a high-flying right-back who’s bobbing forward, Kyle Walker that kind of thing, you have got pace to burn, you make a mistake you can get yourself out of trouble.
“You’re an Trent Alexander-Arnold where you getting in the final third, you’re delivering fantastic balls and getting on the end of crosses and scoring goals and making assists, but I don’t see any of that from him either.
“I scratch my head, we’ve got Firpo, we’ve got Kristensen, two full-backs who we’ve paid good amounts of money for and in reality you look at them today and go they are not even good enough for second-fiddle.”
Leeds have signed Maximilian Wober to increase competition for Firpo in the left-back area, while calls have been made for Luke Ayling to replace Kristensen as the starting right-back.
