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Is Marcelo Bielsa to blame for Leeds United’s troubles? Can the manager be fired?



“There’s nothing positive to take away from our performance,” Marcelo Bielsa said as he echoed the thoughts of thousands of Leeds United fans after a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City in the match. match day 17.

“I can’t find anything that can be appreciated. When nothing is done well, it’s not the individual that fails but the organization. I can offer no justification.”

He ended with a serious remark. “We have never had a performance like today.” The Argentinian was right – the worst game Leeds have played under the veteran manager since his arrival in West Yorkshire back in 2018; The result was the worst overall, in terms of losses, in the club’s history.

All in all, there is no shame in losing to Manchester City away from home, but the way Leeds have played is cause for great concern, especially after the first half of the season saw them win just three in a row. number 17 matches.

According to Bielsa, Leeds were prepared for exactly this kind of match, but they were powerless to stop it.

“The match went exactly as we thought it would,” he said. “We were mentally prepared to avoid everything that happened. We didn’t manage anything. [Our usual style] is what we tried in the whole game. Surely if we did the opposite, we would be lamented for not trying to take possession of the opponent. What we were trying to do jeopardizes our goal. We didn’t do anything good. That was clearly shown in the opening goal. I insist, all that happened is what we wanted to avoid. Since there’s nothing to take from it, I’m certainly responsible for a failure of this kind. “

A campaign that began in hopes of boosting a European leg has turned into a relegation battle, and while there are extenuating factors to consider, it doesn’t matter that Bielsa has to take its fair share of the blame. his about where Leeds currently finds himself. Bielsa often appears as the loneliest man at the Etihad, hunched over the line and staring at the ground, seemingly contemplating what may have led to the catastrophic events unfolding.

The 66-year-old has worked wonders in his first three seasons at Elland Road, taking a perennial squad mid-table in the Championship to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League by Play the most thrilling football that many people in Leeds support, remember.

What’s up with Leeds United?

The defining story of Leeds’ season so far has been injuries, with Bielsa unable to choose from a fully-fit squad at any stage. It looks like he’s getting closer to that possibility on December 5 against Brentford, when Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford return from long layoffs, just for the five key players who will be fired. removed from activity for the foreseeable future just a few days later.

Any team that loses their best player (Kalvin Phillips), top scorer (Bamford), club captain (Liam Cooper) and record signing (Rodrigo Moreno) all at once will face tough, and Leeds certainly looked lacking in quality and leadership when the targets flew. against Illan Meslier on Tuesday. But the fact that there is no adequate backup for players in key positions led Bielsa to insist that he maintain a small squad, leading to a summer of confusion when it comes to transfer strategy. .

Leeds’ website lists their main squad with just 19 players – by far the smallest of the British top flight. While the club have a talented under-23 squad that could help fill the void on matchday, last season’s fans made it clear that any prolonged absences from players like Phillips and Bamford can both have disastrous consequences, unless there is good support. .

But instead of reviving a squad that had not been as successful as expected for three years, Leeds stood still. The organization replaced the departed left-back Gjanni Alioski with Junior Firpo, before waiting until the last day of the transfer window to pay $34 million to sign Dan James from Manchester United – a winger. for a team that already has a number of players capable of playing in large areas.

No backup strikers were found, instead, Rodrigo and Tyler Roberts were trusted to support Bamford.

Most disappointingly, there was no arrival of a new midfield, although that is a position where Leeds lack the same talent as their top rivals, especially since Phillips is out of the game for 2020-21. . With Phillips in the squad last season, Leeds have lost just eight of their 28 league games. Without him, they would have lost seven out of 10.

They have tried to strengthen the midfield, and were turned down by Conor Gallagher when he opted to join Crystal Palace on loan from Chelsea, but otherwise they appear content with sitting on the arm, believe the squad. can now return. raise yourself to new heights.

Owner Andrea Radrizzani even angered fans when he announced on Twitter that Adam Forshaw, who has been out of action for two years with a hip injury, would be the new ‘signing’ they needed to make up for it. for any absence of Phillips. And while Forshaw’s form since his return has been one of the few bright spots of Leeds’ season, the former Middlesbrough midfielder performs much better with the England international than without. older brother.

Although Leeds have a team behind the scenes, led by sporting director Victor Orta, working on transfer targets throughout the calendar year, the final decision rests with Bielsa, and often he doesn’t. wants to shake things up, believes in the little things but is tough- the workgroup he has at his disposal.

That loyalty, of course, creates strong morale in the team, but it also leads to situations like the one we saw at the Etihad – where his side faced off against the Premier League champions and the Premier League champions. Current league leaders have a right-back in the center (Ayling), central midfielder at right-back (Jamie Shackleton), and a winger in both central midfield (Stuart Dallas) and frontline (James ). The mayhem was apparent when Dallas was asked to switch positions twice during the game when there was a substitution.

Is it surprising that things look so disjointed compared to Man City?

“I think the club has put enough manpower at my disposal for the result to be different,” Bielsa said in November, dismissing claims he was asking for a larger squad. “I cannot attribute the position of the table, nor the injury, to an insufficient number of players.”

Whether he admits it or not, the number of senior players in Bielsa’s squad is small, but there’s much more to it when it comes to how he’s set up his side. Bielsa’s loyalty has not only prevented him from signing players to challenge the status quo, but has also allowed some of the club’s talented young players the chance to prove themselves as a number of positions have emerged. mind for them to fill.

Although both Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Cresswell have been featured in the full Premier League this season, the 19-year-old pairing has only started one game at a time, although there are gaps on the side where they could help. fill.

A natural forward like Gelhardt, who scored his first Leeds goal against Chelsea on Saturday, is more used to leading the squad in the absence of Bamford and Rodrigo than a player like James. Centre-back Cresswell, meanwhile, has the maturity and physical attributes to cope at Premier League level, and the subsequent selection of the England Under-21 international would allow Ayling to return to his natural place at right defender.

Instead, Bielsa appears to have a hierarchy in his team and will only move on to younger players if every other possible combination of senior players has been tried first. Throwing them against Manchester City may not seem wise on the surface, but the tactic deployed at the Etihad has proven itself to be a disaster.

THAN: Guardiola sets a new scoring record in Man City vs. Leeds

Meanwhile, in terms of style, Bielsa continues to use a system of marking people that could make it difficult for his side against teams with confident dribblers like City. To be fair, though, while it might be a safer option to close the door at the Etihad and play for a point, the difference in quality between the two teams could lead to a similar outcome.

Whether he is ready to change the way he sets up his team against lesser opponents remains to be seen, but it would be a brave one to bet against Bielsa sticking to the process. his tried and trusted in recent years.

Under normal circumstances, such problems would indicate a stubborn manager who needs to be dismissed before it is too late to rectify the situation. But you would do well to find many Leeds fans who really want Bielsa sacked.

While Leeds’ current problems are largely self-created by the manager, there is no other manager the club can realistically hire and who are likely to steer this group of players in the right direction. once again. Bielsa’s methods have proven effective at both Championship and Premier League levels, and if the curse of injury dotting the club’s Thorp Arch training ground can be eased in the coming months, it will at least. have a first-team squad in Leeds that can afford it. climb on the table.

A smart addition or two in January will certainly help, even if it only allows players to return to their preferred positions while others return to full fitness.

However, things can get worse before they get better. Arsenal visit Elland Road on December 18 before Bielsa is set to take his side to Anfield to face Liverpool on Gifts Day, ending a run of four consecutive matches against “Big Six” teams.

However, home matches with the current bottom three teams Burnley and Newcastle will follow shortly, giving Leeds a chance to get out of trouble if the consequences of the Man City defeat can quickly turn around. pass away.

Bielsa’s mission is to lead his team through the current situation, and while there may be some doubts about the decision he made to get them here, there’s no one they want. are in the vault to bring them forward.





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