ONE-WAY SYSTEM
‘Bielsa’s Leeds are great to watch... but all they have is a Plan A’
THE lack of a ‘Plan B’ could see Leeds dig themselves into a sizeable hole in their first season back in the Premier League.
That’s the view of Danny Mills, a member of the Leeds side that made it through to the semi-finals of the Champions League back in 2000/01.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men have lost three of their last four matches and shipped eight goals in the past two matches. Their humbling at Crystal Palace last weekend saw the Eagles score four in the top flight for the first time in 46 matches.
Leeds have already shown what they’re capable of this season. They almost got the better of champions Liverpool in a thrilling 4-3 defeat on the opening day and then held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw.
Mills, though, fears that the approach favoured by Bielsa will only take them so far – particularly after such a short break between last season ending and this one beginning.
“Leeds have one way of playing,” he said. “Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola, some of the world’s greatest managers idolise him and look up to him like no other.
“But for Leeds, it’s Plan A and if Plan A doesn’t work it’s Plan A, but better. That’s it.
“It’s very intense, very high tempo. They are very cavalier which means they will lose games. The quality they have is good, but not as good as other teams.
“They’ll be exciting to watch this season and that won’t change. They pass out from the back no matter what.
“They also play like basketball, one for one – there’s your man, you stay with him for the whole game.”
Leeds looked all at sea as Palace ripped into them last Saturday. They were similarly fragile at the back when Leicester City tore them apart just five days before.
Now 15th in the table, they’ve conceded 17 goals in just eight matches, a tally matched only by
West Brom. Although in a season where the goals have been raining in, Liverpool have shipped 16.
The Reds only let in 33 in 38 matches when winning the title last time out.
After Leeds’ defeat to the Foxes, Bielsa said he was concerned at the lack of “danger” coming at the other end of the pitch.
And if the club are to avoid a white-knuckle ride on their way to Premier League safety, the goals are clearly going to have to keep coming. They’ve only failed to score once so far this season, with that blank coming in a 1-0 defeat to Wolves.
Half of their 14 goals have been scored by Patrick Bamford, with his form providing one of the major positives.
And Mills believes that the vast, quiet and empty stands of the Premier League have been in Bamford’s favour.
Mills said: “The difference in Bamford this year, I think, is down to the fans. Leeds have the best fans in the world, but those boos, those jeers when you miss chances, they’re hard to take and can affect your game.
“With no fans on his back, I’m not surprised to see him scoring chances he previously would have missed.”
Whether the 27-year-old can continue to bang them in remains to be seen.
But whatever happens in the rest of the season, one thing is certain... it won’t be dull.