#PLStories- Marcelo Bielsa on Leeds United’s Brighton escape, Phillips substitution and the mood in squad #LUFC
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Marcelo Bielsa Leeds
How do you reflect on the performance?
In the first half the differences were very big in their favour. In the second half we managed to play as equals, we defended better, we created chances, not too many, but in proportion to the opponent. In the first half we didn’t defend well. We conceded a lot of chances at our goal and we didn’t take advantage of the balls where we had the possibilities to create danger. In the second half we defended better, and we created four or five chances at goal and that allowed us to play a more balanced, equal game. I don’t ignore the performance in the first half, but I hope that the performance in the second half is a starting point to grow.
When you change things are your players confused as to what they have to do?
The formation of the back four, responded to the same idea as the game against Tottenham. Considering their left winger is a winger who made diagonals into the box, their No. 9 is a player who tended to drop deep and go back into the box and their No. 2 who played wide on the right is a player who liked to go on the outside. That this position was similar to the one we came up against against Tottenham. But evidently it didn’t work so I distributed the players once again, not so much defensively because Phillips as a right centre-back was playing well and Llorente as a right full-back wasn’t playing badly. But in the middle of the pitch, Forshaw and Dallas I had the impression it wasn’t a consistent midfield. So after I decided Dallas to come back to his position at right-back and Llorente at centre-back and Phillips at defensive mid. It’s probable that the players could feel affected due to the movements but anyhow Dallas has played as a right back and a number 8 an infinite amount of times, Phillips has played as a centre-back standing out and his normal position of defensive-mid. Llorente as a right full-back didn’t have to go up. The two times he’s done it this season he hasn’t had difficulties. That’s why I say it’s possible the changes of position affect but I would have to rethink the subject.
Is Kalvin Phillips injured?
No, he’s not injured.
When players are struggling for consistency, what can you do as a coach to help them?
When a team performs consistently it’s because of numerous factors, the players are at a good level physically, technically, there’s a good organisation, they are well mentally. When they manage to mix in proportion creativity and organisation, those are the things that I try to get clearly the function of a coach is for each player to play comfortably and that his state of mood allows him to have a good physical performance bringing up all the energy they gained through their preparation, that they have confidence, security, to improve their self-esteem and to increase their creative options – but that’s my function. When it doesn’t happen it means I’m not doing it well but football has secrets that sometimes are difficult to solve. If we united the first half against Tottenham and the second half here, we would be satisfied. And if we united the first half from today and the second half against Tottenham we would be unsatisfied, and that happens in a lapse of time that is very short. The balance of a team is broken very easily and you have to pay a lot of attention to realise why this happens and try to resolve it. This is what I try to do and evidently I’m not achieving it.
How do you feel Daniel James did in that centre-forward role?
In different games, Gelhardt played in a first half where a team played well and James played in a first half where a team didn’t play well. In the second half when the team improved, Tyler made important contributions as a nine so I understand your reflection so what you’re suggesting is that Gelhardt should’ve played as a nine instead of James and perhaps that option I didn’t choose is the easiest to defend.
On the James subject, what are you looking for Daniel in that [centre-forward] role?
James in the game against Leicester he played as a centre-forward and he contributed a lot of things. In the game against Tottenham he didn’t start in that position, he played in his natural position and today with the return of Raphinha and Rodrigo I thought to go back to the way we played against Leicester was a good decision. Today you can say the way the attack was formed with James as a nine didn’t bear as much fruit as it did when we formed it with Tyler. Perhaps that gives you reason to think that James should have played out wide.
What was the logic behind bringing Firpo in for Pascal at left-back?
Pascal was not in conditions to play 90 minutes so I thought it was convenient that he came on because he could do so as a centre-back, left-back or a defensive mid. So I preferred to reserve him and see how the team evolved and to utilise him where I thought was most necessary.
What do you see as the mood of the players at the moment?
What is obtained are results [which] are very influential on the mood. Evidently the results we are getting are not satisfactory and it wouldn’t be natural for us to be happy or satisfied given the succession of results and the team we have. We could do better. You ask me a question that has only one answer, there’s no team that is happy when they don’t obtain their results. It’s not the same the sensation the game against Leicester leaves, and the sensations that a game like Tottenham leaves us after the second half, nor the sensations we got from the first half today. But in some way there is also positive references, we have Leicester the first half against Tottenham, the second half today that help us to fortify the idea to come back to a more positive performance.
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