DON’T RISK NOW
Bridges urges Bielsa and Leeds to spend or season could end with relegation disaster
LEEDS legend Michael Bridges has urged Marcelo Bielsa to strengthen his squad this month to safeguard against relegation catastrophe.
Bielsa’s side travel to West Ham today hovering just above the drop zone, with a six-pointer against Newcastle at Elland Road this coming Saturday.
While victory over Burnley a fortnight ago, ending a run of three successive defeats, has given Leeds a cushion over the bottom three, Bridges fears that, with injuries ravaging a paper-thin squad, failure to bring in reinforcements could have disastrous consequences.
He wants Bielsa to compromise his principles on the incomers he ideally wants – and make sure he brings in some bodies to aid a group of Leeds players showing worrying signs of wear and tear.
“Like him, I’m a football purist and love the way he works,” said Bridges, 43, on a two-month break in Britain before he heads back to Australia where he coaches tier-two outfit Edgeworth FC,
“He’s worked wonders at Leeds and has them playing some great stuff, but I think that his high-press, high-intensity brand of football is taking its toll on individuals.
“It’s having an effect on their bodies, with lads like Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips out injured.
“Bielsa will never change his philosophy and I wouldn’t want him to, but, while there’s plenty of quality in his squad, there’s not much depth.
“He likes to work with a tight-knit group, but when injuries start to bite, that’s a dangerous game.”
Bridges had just been called into
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England squad during the 1999-00 campaign when his career was cruelly curtailed by injuries after scoring 20 goals during his first Leeds season .
He has watched his former club several times recently, and said: “They’ve got some great youngsters coming through. Speaking to people there, I know how highly Joe Gelhardt is rated.
“But you’re kidding yourself if you think you can fight a relegation battle with kids.
“The season after I broke through at Sunderland, I was just 18 and felt the pressure of a survival battle.
“We got relegated. I wouldn’t want that to happen to Leeds after the progress they’ve made under Bielsa.”
Bridges (above) insists he is not demanding Leeds splash the cash in haphazard fashion and feels that will never happen while managing director Angus Kinnear holds the purse strings. Bridges said: “The club are very sensible these days because they don’t want a repeat of what happened just after I was there, when they spent a fortune, got themselves into trouble, went down and took 16 years to recover.
“Kinnear will be monitoring everything carefully. But while I understand why they won’t spend millions and millions, I do think they must do some transfer business.
“It’s a balance between financial prudence and guaranteeing their top-flight status.
“They could do with signing one or two experienced pros, capable of hitting the ground running.
“It won’t be easy. Another of my old clubs, Newcastle, are finding that out, for all their Saudi wealth.
“But a new striker is required because goals have been in short supply while Patrick Bamford’s been out and there’s been an over-reliance on Raphinha.
“Lads like Tyrone Roberts have done a decent job, but they’re not of the elite standard that’s needed right now.”
Bridges, who is looking to break into management in this country after 12 years
Down Under, added:
“Beating Burnley was so important and now they have that bit of breathing space.
“But if the injury situation gets any worse and they don’t strengthen, there could be trouble ahead.
“With everyone fit, they are more than capable of beating those teams around them.
“But the squad’s already stretched to its limit and I’d fear for them if another two or three players are missing.”
SIMON MULLOCK
BY
LEEDS manager Marcelo Bielsa has admitted that he must carry the can for Patrick Bamford’s injury-ravaged season.
Bielsa revealed how he asked the England striker to play through the pain barrier when he damaged his ankle in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle in early September.
But Bamford aggravated the problem – and then missed Leeds’ next 11 games as Bielsa’s side slid down the Premier League table.
Bamford returned as a substitute against Brentford on December 5, but then pulled a hamstring as he celebrated scoring a last-minute equaliser – and hasn’t played since.
Bielsa said: “Bamford aggravated the injury at Newcastle.
“It was a lot worse due to that. We can’t be certain because it wasn’t a muscular injury.
“But was it because I asked him to stay on that it got worse? The answer is yes, it probably did make it worse.
“He was injured against Newcastle towards the end of the game. I asked him to finish what was left of the game because we needed him and he did so. He helped the team.
“But perhaps me asking him aggravated the injury. His next injury was caused by an uncoordinated movement when he scored.
“In the celebration he aggravated that small injury and it turned into
something more important. Perhaps the excess of character in the player is what has jeopardised us.”
Bielsa hopes that Bamford will return for the trip to West Ham after failing to make it for the 2-0 FA Cup defeat to David Moyes’ high-flying Hammers at the London Stadium last Sunday.
Bamford scored 17 goals last season as Leeds thrived on their return to the top flight.
His absence has clearly been an
TAKING ONE FOR TEAM A MISTAKE
important factor in the Yorkshire club’s struggles this time.
Leeds have been hampered by a succession of other injuries, and will continue to be – skipper Liam Cooper and key midfielder Kalvin Phillips have been ruled out until the spring.
Bielsa has shown a preference for maintaining a small squad throughout his managerial career and has been forced to rely on a significant number of youngsters from Leeds’ excellent academy in recent months.
The Argentine is grateful for the understanding shown by the Elland Road fans – and his emotional celebration at the end of the 3-1 win over Burnley at the start of the month is a memory he will cherish.
The 66-year-old Bielsa admitted: “As you guys know, I haven’t had a lot of success in my career.
“But there are some memories that I hang on to that make me realise it has all been worth it.”