Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BIELSA: DALLAS HAS BECOME MY JAV-A-GO HERO
MARCELO BIELSA has hailed Stuart Dallas as his new Javier Zanetti.
The Leeds manager coached the Argentina legend while he was in charge of the national team.
And now Bielsa (below) says Northern Ireland international Dallas reminds him of Zanetti, who played 143 times for his country over 17 years in both full-back positions as well as in midfield.
Dallas has also operated in these areas for Leeds this season and Bielsa says he is like Zanetti because of his versatility.
“I had a player like Dallas, Javier Zanetti, and also Julio Saldana, who I had when I first managed at Newell’s Old Boys,” said Bielsa.
“Those players are very like Dallas in terms of their versatility.
“Dallas is a very potent, powerful player. He can play with either foot, he’s good defending.
“He has the capacity to combine as well as make runs, which allows him to flourish playing in the middle. He has a change of rhythm and surprise when he attacks.
“It’s very difficult to find all that in just one player.”
Dallas is Leeds’ man of the moment after his double earned them a famous win over champions-elect Manchester City – and tonight’s clash with Liverpool at Elland Road will be another red-letter day for him.
He supported the Reds as a kid growing up in Cookstown and today is also his 30th birthday.
The Northern Ireland international’s two strikes against City took his Premier League tally to seven goals and two assists and Bielsa admits he is surprised by his strike-rate.
“The role Dallas has in the team at the moment is the role that Mateusz Klich had,” said the Leeds head coach.
“Dallas started to play in this position and showed different ways of playing.
“He has managed to have a marked impact on our finishing. In that sense, this is a novelty, even though he is well capable of scoring goals.”
Leeds are riding high and they can register four successive Premier League wins for the first time in 20 years if they beat Liverpool.
Diego Llorente has played a key role and the Spanish international has established himself at the heart of their defence after his first months at Elland Road were blighted by injury.
“He’s played well, he’s not had any bad games,” said Bielsa.