'For each case there was a motive' - Marcelo Bielsa on unexpected Leeds United selection for Crewe tie and missed chances - YEP 24/8/21

Marcelo Bielsa felt his Carabao Cup selection decisions were entirely justified as a strong Leeds United side eventually brushed Crewe Alexandra aside 3-0.

By Graham Smyth

A sold out Elland Road was treated to a dominant performance, but it still took 79 minutes for the Whites to make the breakthrough against the League One outfit.

Bielsa gave minutes to players who needed them, rather than fielding a mixed team with Under 23s players as he has in past cup outings.

Captain for the night Kalvin Phillips scored the opener before Jack Harrison benefitted from impressive Patrick Bamford work to add two more.

Bielsa saw his side squander a huge number of chances.

"We took a very long time to score, we missed a lot of chances and it was a very contested game," he said.

"Even if they didn't create a lot [Crewe] disputed every ball. The initial formation they started with took us the start of the game to accommodate it.

"And in both halves we missed ten chances in each half."

Bielsa was pleased with what he saw down the left flank, where Junior Firpo and Harrison showed signs of a growing relationship.

He added: "[Harrison] unbalanced a lot through his sector, he linked up well with Junior they generated a lot."

Important minutes for Adam Forshaw, on the way back from an almost two-year lay-off, were another positive for the head coach.

"He was going to play between 45 minutes and an hour," said Bielsa, who replaced Forshaw after 60 minutes.

"He could handle the rhythm of the game so we are satisfied."

The line-up was somewhat of a surprise, with a place in the squad for just three of Mark Jackson's Under 23s.

Bielsa felt the game was necessary for each player he selected.

"Every player that played did so justifying why," he said.

"Some because they had played less in pre-season, some others were coming back from injury, some because they have the level of a star but they have less minutes.

"Some of them because they can play more than once a week. That's to say we picked the players with each case in mind.

"Shackleton is a player who deserves to play, Llorente is coming back from injury, Junior needs the minutes, Phillips has played less than the rest, Rodrigo didn't play the last game, Helder like Shackleton had few minutes, Harrison when he puts games together it improves him, Forshaw hadn't played an official game for a long time, for each case there was a motive."