Marcelo Bielsa outlines the three aspects of Leeds United's game that are key to Whites growth - YEP 20/8/21
Marcelo Bielsa says there are three main aspects to Leeds United's game which are key to the continued evolution of his Whites.
By Lee Sobot
Argentine head coach Bielsa is now into his fourth year at
Elland Road and the 2021-22 Premier League season began with a 5-1 hiding
against arch rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Bielsa, though, said the blame for the defeat rested with
him and says there are three core areas of his side's play which are most
linked to how his team will develop.
Leeds will look to record their first victory of the new
season in Saturday's clash against Everton at Elland Road as the Whites bid to
kick on from last season's ninth-placed finish as a newly promoted side.
Bielsa explained: "When I imagine the steps we have to
make to keep growing as a team, the fundamental aspects, the main thing that
makes our team grow is based on three aspects.
"For the opponent to attack worse or for their forwards
to be worse, we need that the build up of the opponent is difficult for them so
that their forwards don't receive balls comfortably.
"That is one key aspect of our game, especially when we
play against teams which are better than ours.
"The other aspect that is key is to be very careful in
the management of the ball in our own half because if we lose the ball when we
are distributing an attack and if we lose it close to our own goal, we are out
of position and we don't have a lot of time to get back in position and to
avoid that the opponent takes advantage and creates danger.
"The third aspect which is an aspect over which I am
criticised a lot is to maintain a defensive structure with a lot of control
over the attackers, avoiding the persecutions that take our players when the
opponents are attacking far away from the positions that they initially
played."
Applying those three aspects to the opening weekend defeat
at Old Trafford, Bielsa added: "Over these three aspects and over the
management over the times in the game, this is the things that we worked most
on.
"So all the things that I tried that the team had
against a great opponent, we didn't manage to put into practice.
"So that without deflection is my responsibility but
for one reason in particular: because I count on a group at a disposition to
work also with enthusiasm and also integrate to the ideas I transmit to them.
"So if you analyse the unbalances that happened in the
game that we lose, they are all linked with things that we are constantly
trying to develop."
"Marking in possession, the experience to manage the
times in the game, the moments in the game, they are all things that we talk
about constantly.
"And I insist that when you coach a team with players
who are so generous, so identified and so professional, then the coach or the
manager does not manage to achieve what he is looking for then it is the fault
of the manager and not of the players.
"I give this such a long explanation so that there is
no doubt that the responsibility of the defeat is because of an error in the
function that I have.
"And I have argued it in a sufficient manner so that
you guys know that it is true."
