Graham Ruthven: Marcelo Bielsa’s stubbornness is holding Leeds back

OF the Premier League’s 20 teams, only five were broadcast on live TV more times than Leeds United were last season. Of the four fixtures they have played so far this season, two have beamed around the country. This says a lot about how Marcelo Bielsa’s side are regarded by pundits and fans.

Indeed, Leeds have earned a place in the hearts of English football’s neutrals under Bielsa with the legendary Argentinean coach re-establishing the Elland Road outfit in the Premier League after an exile of 16 years. And yet Leeds’ 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, and the start they have made in general, raises questions over how much further Bielsa can take them.

Leeds’ fast and furious brand of football has made them one of the Premier League’s most entertaining sides, but their commitment to this approach means there is a ceiling on what they can achieve. This was evident against Liverpool who brutally exploited the space behind the home team’s high line.

Manchester United did similar on opening weekend. And they did it last season too, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side put six past Leeds. In fact, Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leicester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all scored three or more in a single Premier League match against Bielsa’s men last season.

TOP 5 LEAGUES Worst Defense (goals per game)

3.67 US Salernitana 1919 3.00 Newcastle United FC 3.00 Cagliari Calcio 3.00 Spezia Calcio 2.75 Leeds United FC 2.75 Norwich City FC 2.75 Hertha BSC pic.twitter.com/fcH9p1klEE

— FootBall⚽️InfoData (@FInfodata) September 14, 2021

There were signs towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign that Bielsa was open to adapting his trademark style to give his team a better chance against higher calibre opponents. The clearest indication of this came in the away win over Manchester City in April, when Leeds had to play the entire second half with 10 men.

Faced with this challenging situation, Bielsa sat his team behind the ball and asked them to soak up City possession before hitting out on the counter attack, which is how they scored a stoppage time winner. This, coupled with more pragmatic displays against Liverpool, Manchester United and Spurs down the stretch suggested Leeds could play in a different way.

Bielsa’s Leeds — Unlocking low block defense, building up and breaking lines with key passes pic.twitter.com/IntnKI7z2l

— TheBuildupPlay (@TheBuildupPlay) July 10, 2020

Such tactical development has, however, been halted this season. It’s not that Leeds United lack a Plan B – the aforementioned performances in the latter part of last season proved they have one – it’s that Bielsa is unwilling to employ it when Plan A isn’t working. At no point against Liverpool or Manchester United did Leeds try anything different.

“Evidently, the way I planned for the game didn’t allow for our forwards to shine,” Bielsa explained after Sunday’s loss to Liverpool, referencing Leeds’ lack of control through the centre of the pitch. “They managed to get their forwards into the game to create danger and chances. Every time we lost the ball, the opponents created danger. 

“But, we did have some balls in the first half that we thought would have created more danger or risk for the opponent in the game. What Jurgen Klopp planned for facilitated the unbalance of the forwards and what I chose didn’t allow our very good forwards to create danger and shine in the game.”

Even when analysing what went wrong against Liverpool, Bielsa focused on what stopped Plan A from working rather than his failure to tailor his approach. By going toe-to-toe with the visitors to Elland Road, Leeds made the contest about individual quality. It was therefore unsurprising that Liverpool came out on top.

Bielsa has revitalised Leeds United. The Argentine is a beloved figure at Elland Road, and rightly so. He has restored the club as a member of the English football elite and has done so with a swagger. But with some tweaks and refinement of his approach, Bielsa could take Leeds even further.