Bielsa keeps Leeds critics happy by rolling the Dyche

Matt Stead

The narrative is absolutely insatiable. It bloody loves it. After a week of rampant discussion over whether Marcelo Bielsa needed to be more pragmatic and change his entire decades-old coaching ethos on the back of 90 ludicrous minutes at Old Trafford to focus more on defence, the identity of the next three managers to face Leeds elicited a wry smile: Sean Dyche, Sam Allardyce, Jose Mourinho.

Three more stereotypical proponents of the football Leeds supposedly should play would be difficult to find. These were the men the protesting pundits and dissenting rival fans surely had in mind when suggesting Leeds needed to conform to survive. Burnley, West Brom and Tottenham would expose the error of Bielsa’s ways and the benefits of theirs.

Perhaps Dyche will therefore appreciate the irony in losing 1-0 to an early set-piece goal away at the great entertainers, having had more shots on a playing surface that has seen far better days. Burnley dragged Leeds down to their level and lost. The hosts played the visitors at their own game and won.

Paul Merson must be happy. He was “fuming” after the defeat to Manchester United. He insisted that “everyone has caught on to how Leeds play”. He pondered whether this squad would “get fed up of playing the way they are playing”. He ignored a 5-2 thrashing of Steve Bruce’s Newcastle in the previous game to pour gasoline on the dumpster fire that was losing 6-2 to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United four days later.

This was closer to what the experts wanted. Leeds scored early through Patrick Bamford’s penalty and threatened intermittently thereafter. They conceded a goal ruled out on debatable grounds and defended resolutely as Burnley searched for an equaliser. Illan Meslier was as excellent as the back four in front of him. Kalvin Phillips was exceptional. But it was about the result, not the performance.

It always is, of course. A Bielsa misconception is that he focuses too much on ensuring the supporters are entertained but he only plays the way he does because he feels that is the best way to beat any opponent. But it does feel as though Leeds need these performative narrow victories built on determined defending to keep the critics satisfied. It shouldn’t matter. In many ways it doesn’t. Yet even his pre-match press conference hinted that it does.

“I don’t worry too much about what the press think,” he said. “I always listen, read and try to take the best possible message from what’s written.

“What does worry me is that what’s written does influence the public, they decrease the capacity to understand for the public and try to destabilise by suggesting to the players that the style needs to be changed.”

His point was simple: the condemnation does not impact him but might plant that seed of doubt in the minds of supporters or players. He knows the virtues of his ways but every defeat might chip away at that external belief.

Which is weird, because Bielsa teams tick every lazy punditry box. They run the furthest in almost every game, ensuring a lack of effort can never be used as an excuse for failure. They score. They entertain. They have an identity. They take on bigger and better teams instead of camping in their own area. They are incredibly complex but also entirely simple.

And against Burnley, they showed some flexibility. They reacted to the flow of the game, becoming more compact as the opponent pressed forward. Leeds pursued a carrot that was constantly out of reach at Manchester United but avoided any more stick by reining themselves in a home to a relegation-battling side.

It was perhaps the least fun any Leeds fan will have had watching them play this season, if not this year. Yet that might well have been the most satisfying result of all, proof that there are layers and dimensions to this team that many had overlooked. Leeds need no alternative when Plan Bielsa remains effective more often than not.

Matt Stead

 

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