BRIGHTON EXPOSE THE FLAWS IN BIELSA’S BLUEPRINT

The worst week of Marcelo Bielsa’s time at Leeds by a distance. After the unfathomable half-time substitutions which torpedoed his team at Crawley in the FA Cup, a performance on Saturday that stank the house out. One of the things Bielsa and Pep Guardiola agreed on at their supposed 11-hour pow-wow at the Argentine’s Rosario ranch, 15 years ago, was that you don’t give journalists anything. So it’s hard to be sure if his reflections on three defeats and no goals in 2021 were honest. ‘It worries me,’ he said. ‘To have lost three games without scoring is not something that can happen without worry. The fluidity to attack is not the same as we’ve been used to.’ his midfielder Mateusz Klich bore no resemblance to the individual we saw in the autumn. The quality of supply from the flanks, where Bielsa swapped personnel against Brighton, was not there. Leeds are usually undone when teams strike on the counter-attack and find wide open spaces. here, they were just beaten man for man. Brighton’s central-defensive three clogged up the box in a way which impeded striker Patrick Bamford. Leeds are also screaming out for more strength — an enforcer — in central midfield. From that sublime opening evening against Liverpool, they have been vulnerable to opponents running 40 yards through them. So it was with the five-man move which brought Neal Maupay’s goal for Brighton. The marking which permitted him to do so was criminal. Leeds don’t defend well. The concern for those who want to see them retain their Premier League grip, and not sink into an existential fight, is that Brighton looked like a team on the opposite trajectory. Their excellent Argentine forward Alexis Mac Allister could have given up the ghost months back. his colourful back-story belies a grim 12 months. Of Fife descent, he was signed by Chris hughton two years ago, loaned back to Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors and arrived in Brighton to make a 10-minute substitute appearance before the pandemic struck. Reports that he tested positive for the virus have not been confirmed but he has certainly suffered injuries. The man is a fighter, for sure. A little perspective is needed where Leeds are concerned. They have lost three consecutive games in a season when all clubs have been prone to inconsistency. Who knows what measures Bielsa will apply? Those ‘press conferences’ he gives — speaking through a translator, not for one minute looking into the camera — are all part of the mystery, making Leeds such a compelling addition this season. They have 10 days to regroup, re-energise and catch their breath. Rarely has a period of mid-season downtime seemed so important. LEEDS (3-2-4-1): Casilla 6; Ayling 7.5, Cooper 6, Alioski 6 (Hernandez 66min, 6); Struijk 5, Dallas 6; Harrison 7, Rodrigo 5.5 (Roberts 61 6), Klich 6, Raphinha 6 (Poveda-Ocampo 75, 6); Bamford 5.5. Subs not used: Caprile, Llorente, Costa, Davis, Shackleton, Jenkin. Booked: Ayling. Manager: Marcelo Bielsa 5.5. BRIGHTON (3-4-3): Sanchez 6; Webster 7, Dunk 7, Burn 6.5; Veltman 6, White 6.5, Gross 6, March 6; MAC ALLISTER 8 (Bissouma 61, 6), Maupay 7.5 (Propper 81), Trossard 7.5 (Tau 74, 6). Subs not used: Walton, Alzate, Zeqiri, Sanders, Jenks, Khadra. Scorer: Maupay 17. Booked: Webster. Manager: Graham Potter 8. Referee: Kevin Friend 7.