LUSCOS
LUSCOS Forum => Ordet er fritt => Emne startet av: Promotion 2010 på August 03, 2018, 13:07:06
-
Her kan vi legge inn ALT fra pressekonferansen til Marcelo Bielsa! :)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dqby_FkWwAEWCHN?format=jpg&name=medium)
-
Fra første konferanse 25.juni 2018:
Presser In full:
Leeds United news LIVE: Recap of everything Marcelo Bielsa said in fascinating 90 minute press conference ...
Leeds United's new head coach Marcelo Bielsa will meet the press for the first time this afternoon, as the club get set to introduce the former Argentina and Chile boss to the media at an Elland Road press conference at 2pm.
It promises to be a fascinating occasion with journalists from across the globe heading to Yorkshire to see how the respected coach plans to tackle the job of getting Leeds United back into the Premier League.
We'll be in place at the Whites' stadium to bring you everything that the new man has to say on his Leeds United masterplan, how he plans to approach pre-season, the work he has put in already and more.
Plus we'll bring you all the latest transfer news and other developments from the club so stay tuned.
Key Events
Bielsa on his English 17:11
How many new signings do you need? 14:10
17:11Key Event
Bielsa on his English
English lessons will play an important part in Marcelo Bielsa’s first months at Leeds United with the hope he will be fluent by the end of the season.
The Argentinian has already been devoting several hours every day for the past three weeks to learning the language, but it will be some time before he tries to speak English in public.
It is understood he will use the example shown by Mauricio Pochettino, a close friend and acolyte, when he first came to the UK.
Read more here
Marcelo Bielsa during the press conference at Elland Road, Leeds on Monday June 25, 2018.(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
16:45
Bielsa's key points
We’ll have plenty more reaction to Bielsa’s press conference for you shortly, but here’s a summery of some of the main lines:
His squad needs to be strengthened in ‘four or five areas’
He is willing to let as many as 15 players leave
His team will attack
He watched every one of Leeds’ 51 matches last season - plus their post-season friendlies in Myanmar
Video analysis is hugely important
He knows ‘everything a foreigner could know about Leeds United’
16:37
Our take on Bielsa's presser
We’ve been live on Facebook to discuss what we made of this afternoon’s press conference.
Have a watch here...
15:36
Photo ops...
And now onto some snaps that will be appearing on tomorrow’s back pages..
15:22
That's all for now...
Stick around though, plenty more to come...
15:21
Is he a Clough and Revie man?
Who did he prefer? Don’t get this one wrong Marcelo...
In terms of winning the right way, I prefer to lose than cheat or play tricks.
I prefer beautiful football rather than over -pragmatic football. You’re not allowed to play outside the rules, it doesn’t bring you trophies.
Playing well brings you closer to winning things.
I don’t think we can claim playing badly is a means to an end to win.
15:19
Can he get Leeds playing in his no-nonsense style?
Yes, when you come to an environment like this everything is done in a very professional manner.
Is Leeds known for being hard working? I thought the industrial north was higher up the country.
15:17
On pre-season friendlies
Is he happy with them?
I know the level at which our future opponents compete at. And I cant comment on the exact standard as I’ve not seen a lot. But I trust the people who set them u
15:16
Which players is he most looking forward to working with?
We can’t single out players, even in a good sense because we never get forgiven. I’ve got opinions but I’m not going to speak about them.
For a start this press conference is all too much about me, and this isn’t a good thing for manager-player relations. Speaking as much as I have been just now is not good for the job I’ve got ahead of me.
15:15
What has he said so far?
It’s trying to communicate a style, a way of playing. That’s the key, conveying that style.
15:14
What about your contact with the players?
We said hello, greeted each other this morning.
15:14
How does he interpret the 'El Loco' nickname?
I’ve got a prepared answer I’ve had a while for this one.
I was first given it because maybe my style of giving replies in press conferences was different to most managers. I don’t know if you believe that?
15:12
What does he think about the Championship?
I’ve heard it’s the 6th or 7th best league in the world. Talking about the stadia - I’ve seen stadia that only hold 10,000 but they’re great. They add a bit more sauce to the occasion. They’re all good.
I guess in my experience, it’s been the classic stadium like Fulham, now you see the massive futuristic stadia.
What is key for me is I’ve got a real flavour for it and can’t wait to get started.
15:10
How is his English coming on?
I’ve got lots to thank my mother for, but she sent me to English classes for 15 years.
I will try. But I said the same in France and didn’t manage it.
15:09
On Messi
There’s nobody better placed than Messi to tell you how he feels. He has to pass an exam every time. He is where he is because he demonstates his quality at every point. I hope with all my strength he demonstates what he can do tomorrow.
All of us who love him are sending us his best wishes for tomorrow,
15:08
Bielsa brings the bants
This is the first time I have been in charge of a club for six months, are you worn out?
Bielsa asks the translator if he’s tiring him out yet. We’re almost 70 minutes in here.
15:07
On Argentina again
We can answer your question with this reply: Doing the rounds in the Argentina media is a start from Tata Martino about how hard it is to do the job because of the demands placed on them by the national media. I have 100% confidence in them and that’s not me hoping it will happen, that’s based on fact. I think the players will find a way out of this situation.
The management team have more than enough experience and knowledge to get them out of this situation so the players themselves and the coach need to feel the support of us and the fans. I think they need to feel the love and support of everyone. We support them and are right behind them.
I’m on board with what Martino has said but I’m probably not the best qualified person to be asking about this currently because back in 2002 I was in charge and we were knocked out in the group stages, which gives me doubts about whatever is said. To turn things around, I think the words of Martino sum up perfectly what Argentina need. Love and support.
15:02
On getting the Thorp Arch blueprints
My daughter told me not to talk about it. I’ve been told not to speak about building work. It’s a top class training centre that doesn’t need any tinkering with or alterations.
It might be a slight alteration here or there but nothing major.
Will the players be sleeping there?
Not thought of that yet - I might be taking that as a suggestion.
15:00
Bielsa on the Champions League days
Next up is a question about what he knows about the Champions League days and subsequent decline:
I think you always imagine being part of some success and that motivates you makes you emotional.
14:59
What influence did Ivan Bravo have?
A question about Bielsa’s coaching at the Inspire Academy and if that came into play here:
We all know, anyone involved in football knows the prestige Bravo has in the game, but I didn’t get in contract with him about coming here. I don’t want create any problem in the future for him but the president and Orta believed in me. And if it goes well it will be down to me and if it goes badly it will be down to them.
14:57
How important is the video analysis?
And what research have you done into the club and city?
Watching games with your analysing head on, the more matches you watch, it reduces the chance you might be wrong about an idea you had. It doesn’t mean you’re less likely to make a mistake, but it makes you think you haven’t made a mistake.
It’s invaluable in the game. It can tell you the No2 might play various positions across the back, right, left, middle or has filled in at centre half and midfield also.
The way the team is structure - for example, the length that a player runs, I could give you loads and loads more conclusions from watching this footage but it would be vain of me to do so.
What I can tell you is what happens when you do watch these 51 games - and I enjoyed it - certainly I see it as a professional obligation to look into thing which such detail. I have’t done it for the sake of it.
Whether I’m right or not, they have generated hundreds of certainties, I’ve got a lot of conclusions from it.
14:53
What needs to change from last year?
I don’t really like to evaluate or give opinions on games or seasons I didn;t take part in. Not fair to make comments on fellow managers, players, teams you’re not involved in.
14:52
What about the Elland Road atmosphere?
I know everything I could possibly know as a foreigner and what it means to supporters of this country.
I was given a list of instructions here of how I should speak and I think I’ve lost it.
It mentioned that Leeds United had the biggest attendances in the league last season, although VIlla had bigger crowds but I think it tipped over the figure because they were in the play-offs. I know because people have told me at the club, but I know for myself Leeds take huge amounts of support away and I know the team means an awful lot for the city.
In Bilbao, a place that has left a huge mark on my life, not the biggest mark on my life, because the team who leaves the biggest mark is your first club, Newell’s Old Boys in my case, but the phrase you head most walking around Bilbao is ‘I’m a season ticket holder’. It’s like a statement of what you are. A way of identifying yourself. There are lots of people of British descent living in the Bilbao area.
I’m really excited that’s it’s going to be the same here.
The fans support their home town in the same way. Working in football gives you a chance to see just how a city and group of fans can identify with each other. The fans become part of the club - that’s what I’ve been told here.
14:47
How important is Leeds' start to the season?
Next up is a question on Leeds’ start:
There are no easy games in football. We are naturally optimistic most of the time. For me, having my first game at home and to have the kind of belief and excitement in what’s going to be a sell-out crowd and make it like a ‘Premier League’ game, which makes me really excited.
14:45
MB on Lille
A question on Lille and his time in France:
Marseille was an unforgettable memory for me. Experiencing the Stade Velodrome on matchday was one of the most enjoyable experiences football can give you. ON a football front Lille was the saddest moments of my career. Not because of the place, the city is lovely and very welcoming and certainly not because of the footballers who I had huge amounts of time for. Fans would always get behind the side. And also the staff, you can’t split them out of the institution, they fit part of the texture of the club. But apart from all that, my self esteem as a manager more than any time during my career really suffered.
And not in the main because of the results on the field which if you were to look and take them seperately would be enough to damage my self esteem because I was removed from my position with the team in 19th place but I only played 20% of the games for the period which I was under contract.
14:41
And now a question in Spanish from a Bilbao journalist - which fortunately for your humble blogger who only has a French GCSE is being translated.
I’m not aware of any manager who expresses himself in such perfect and detailed language. Is this a major worry for you or a small worry?
And here’s Bielsa’s answer
The person who will be more interested in this reply is myself or the man who asked it. But I’m sorry, I can’t be brief.
I’m very conscious of the spoken or written word in getting your point across.
Basically, an artist of the written word, a Basque journalist called Balligara [no way I’ve spelt that right - sorry folks], I recommend you have a read.
Getting players to play and appealing to their emotions, getting your message across to players in management is all about that.
I think the biggest factor which gets players playing is emotion and if you speak sincerely, words and how you express yourself goes hand in hand with activating those football emotions.
So if you do struggle in a particular language, it’s unmistakable that you have a difficulty.
But there are other ways to show how you feel apart from the written word. Although I was working in Bilbao which shares a language but has a different culture to Spain, France is a different language and culture but I think I managed to get my point across in both those countries and found the essence which motivates players.
I think the tradition present in English football is a value which is guaranteed. Here, values and tradition in football are very consistent with each other. I think I’m confident enough to believe that messages will be conveyed and reach the players.
14:35
Was the delay in signing a contract due to budget issues or something else?
I’m very meticulous and careful on these processes. And having spoken with Victor Orta and the president I’ve found people who are very keen on taking a different direction in a sporting sense. I was very conscious that they weren’t going to promise something they couldn’t fulfil so I just wanted to describe everything carefully from the start so I wouldn’t surprise them down the line.
I’ve already tired the translate out.
14:33
What sort of budget do you have?
I’ve spoke long with the director of football and club president about what we need and what our aims are and we all agreed the three of us that these needs and objectives were to be highly exaggerated and we could find solutions.
But in terms of putting these decisions into practice, this is beyond my job spec and I’m extremely confident that these issues will be sorted out in a very positive way.
14:31
What do you make of Pep and Poch's praise for your methods?
And will these methods benefit the England team?
I don’t want to be accused of false modesty.
So false modesty is when you say something to make the listener draw something else from the conversation. I don’t like false modesty.
Guardiola is the best coach in the world and his ideas have been created by he himself.
In any of his teams, any traits, all I’ve ever seen are his own ideas.
As for Pochettino, he’s built his own career and he’s built up his own style which really is quite unique to him when you see his teams play.
I think these two guys might be references. I think the fact they are references to other people is more than that fact I’ve been references to them.
I’ve studied their style in depth. I’m not just been humble or modest.
14:28
Have you told any players they aren't needed?
I’ve seen all 51 games played last season, plus the friendlies in Asia. I’ve got opinions and made my mind up about all the players.
But I’ve not had that day to day contact with them that the club has already enjoyed.
In the same way I might get recommendations about new players, I’ve also been informed about the club’s position on how you evaluate the existing playing staff.
If the club have certain players they do not want to keep, they wouldn’t be players I’m trying to keep.
In terms of any player who might be leaving the club, I wouldn’t want to confuse the issue by giving an negative evaluation and description of the player, even though it might seem like that, so I’l go back to what I was saying before, the players I want to keep are the ones I want to give lots of playing time to.
The club have 15 players more than they need. And we still need 4 or 5 different positions on the field where we need to strengthen. I think moving forward in a football sense, the squad shouldn’t be too numerous, too many players who aren’t getting game time.
So there might be some departures so the amount of players isn’t too excessive.
Anybody leaving it will be more due to the fact I like a trimmed down, lean squad and the numbers in the squad so everyone is getting regular game time.
I can’t ignore the fact there are 46 games in this competition and the potential that 18-20 weeks where you play two games per week if we’ve made progress in the cup completions.
But we have one or two youngsters who could be available in this situation so that we can add those to the squad as a whole but we might need to add one or two more players.
These long replies, we go around the houses in our answers in order not to name any names.
14:21
Which players have you told are not good enough?
That is the ideal skillset. No player anywhere fits that bill.
What I will say is we’re trying to keep players who will get plenty of playing time. They will feature. They will get plenty of game time.
The question that you just asked me I’m convinced will be the prologue to another more complicated question.
14:20
What sort of players do you need to be successful?
I think a team is made up about of all the qualities that you see from a myriad of players.
Maybe I cold just give you a short summary of what an ‘ideal player’ is like:
Mental strength
Sufficient ability on the ball
Being bright enough to interpret different styles of play
Strong physically and brave
A competitive spirit
14:18
What will be your measure of success this season?
There are many ways to ask questions, but we find it impossible to answer. We cannot answer. I’ve kind of already answered that question in a similar way.
I think setting parameters and objectives in advance, I don’t think it’s the ideal message of support for the people who are the end users of the message, which are of course, our fans.
The club with the history of this club, they know how to measure success and failure at the end of the season.
I think that if you try to predict the future you’re becoming a demagogue rather than a football coach, so it’s not great to make statements of intent at this stage.
I much prefer to try and demonstrate and give examples rather than predict.
14:16
-
Part 2:
14:16
What about Argentina at the World Cup?
Onto the World Cup next. What does he make of Argentina’s struggles?
I think we’re going to see the best of Argentina from tomorrow onwards. I firmly believe in the quality of the players.
And in particular Messi’s leadership which I believe will come to the fore and be evident.
I’m convinced also by the knowledge of the backroom staff and the management team. Their wisdom and knowledge will show itself.
I think the two matches we’ve seen so far will be used as a grounding to put in a style of play that the national team wants to see.
They will move on in a positive way.
I’ve got a huge amount of faith in both the coach and the staff and also the players. From tomorrow you will see a different style of performance.
14:13
Do you believe you will get Leeds promoted?
The next question is about promotion.
It’s imprudent to promise something you cannot be certain about.
But at the same time it would be impossible not to dream about it.
To give sense to any project like this in a football sense, what drives you is having that desire, hope, belief that you carry out everything that everyone wants.
14:12
Any advice from Pep or Poch?
Have you spoken to Pep or Poch?
I’ve not had a physical conversation but I’m aware of what they say in the media all the time.
As you’re aware, those two guys are in love with everything about the English game.
So everything I’ve gleaned from the comments they have made has always been absolutely positive.
14:10Key Event
How many new signings do you need?
Transfers next - have you identified any players and how many do you want to bring in?
For the moment we’re not intending to bring too many new faces in.
From my point of view the club currently have many players on the books who should remain.
In terms of the transfer process I get names from Victor Orta, I then give my opinion on them. If we arrive at an agreement and are on the same page moving forward, that’s when the process starts.
14:08
What can the players and fans expect?
He’s asked how he can implement his style of football and what the players and fans can expect.
I think we almost have an obligation of managers to do what we think is right. If we don’t believe then we can’t do it ourselves.
I believe that the players have enough ability about them to take on board what I tell them and can put this into practice on the field.
As regards what the fans can expect, I think they want the protagonists out there on the field, rather than talking about what might happen.
I want people to take the game by the scruff of the neck, want to win the game.
The fans will see the kind of football where the ball is on the floor. As we work the ball forward we will keep it on the ground.
They will see loyalty, faithfulness from the players in trying to do what we tell them out on the field.
This is the aim at this stage.
It’s all about learning how to deal with situations where you aren’t on top.
14:04
Why did he decide to join Leeds?
He’s first asked why Leeds and what they did to convince him to join.
It was a case of me convincing myself, no one had to convince me.
I was convinced by the strength of Leeds United as a club and institution and the possibilities of Leeds in a sporting sense.
I looked from a sporting point of view. Those things came about together to help me make my choice.
14:02
Here he is...
Andrea Radrizzani leads Marcelo Bielsa out.
The chairman wishes everyone well - dropping in a joke about the Costa del Yorkshire.
‘Marcelo had other options, but he has chased the dream of bringing Leeds United back to the Premier League.’
13:57
Plenty of people here...
This press conference could last a while.
13:54
Five minutes to go...
You get the impression that Bielsa is a punctual man, so get comfy chaps and chapesses, as we’ll be kicking off shortly.
-
Fortsatt fra FØRSTE pressekonferanse: YEPs referat!
Leeds United too big a job to turn down for meticulous Marcelo Bielsa
Phil Hay
Published: 15:29 Monday 25 June 2018
Marcelo Bielsa. Picture: Getty Images
Marcelo Bielsa. Picture: Getty Images
New Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa said he had been drawn to the job by the “strength of the club and the institution†and promised to keep faith with his philosophy in the Championship after being formally unveiled at Elland Road.
Speaking for the first time since agreeing a two-year contract with Leeds, Bielsa vowed to build a team who would take games “by the scuff of the neck†and said he had taken his first managerial post in England with the dream of ending United’s 14-year Premier League exile.
Bielsa, the former Argentina and Chile boss, was appointed by United more than a week ago but flew in from South America on Saturday and met the club’s players at Thorp Arch for the first time this morning.
The legendary 62-year-old was United’s ambitious choice to replace Paul Heckingbottom and accepted the position after more than two weeks of intense negotiations over his contract.
“It was a case of me convincing myself,†said Bielsa, speaking through a translator at a press conference this afternoon. “No-one had to convince me. I was convinced by the strength of Leeds United as a club and an institution, and on the field in a sporting sense. I looked at things from a football point of view.
“I’m very meticulous and careful in these processes. Having spoken with Victor Orta and the president (Andrea Radrizzani) I found two people very keen to look at the direction of the club in a sporting sense. I was very conscious they weren’t going to promise something that they couldn’t fulfil so I wanted to describe every detail about me from the word go so that they would not be surprised by anything.â€
It’s imprudent to promise something when there are so many uncertainties, but at the same time not to be impossible dreaming about that happening.
Marcelo Bielsa
Bielsa’s is renowned as one of the world’s most innovative coaches and Leeds made him the highest-paid coach in their history by offering him a salary in excess of £2m.
The appointment was a response to the club’s 13th-placed finish in the Championship last season, Radrizzani’s first as club owner, and Bielsa vowed to tackle the division with his traditional brand of expansive, attacking football.
“We almost have an obligation as managers to put into place what we believe in,†he said. “We cannot have obligations in other people to believe it if we don’t believe in it ourselves.
“I believe that the players have enough ability to take on board what I’m saying and to take on board my beliefs and actions on the field
“As regards what the fans can expect, I think they want protagonists on the field rather than just talking about what might happen I want people to take the game by the scruff of the neck - time with possession on the ball rather than fighting to win it back.â€
Asked about his expectation of promotion next season, Bielsa said: “I think if you are trying to predict the future you are almost becoming a demagogue rather than a football coach. It’s better to be reasonable and measured and not give sweeping predictions.
“It’s imprudent to promise something you cannot be totally certain of. But at the same time, it would be impossible not to be dreaming about that. What drives you is having the desire, hope and belief that you can carry out what everyone wants.â€
Bielsa indicated that as many as 15 players could leave Leeds this season and said he wanted to see the squad strengthened in “four or five positionsâ€.
The Argentinian, however, gave the current squad a vote of confidence, saying: “For the moment we’re not intending to bring too many new faces in. From my point of view the club have got plenty of players I feel should remain here, who we should keep.â€
-
Pressekonferanse før Stoke hjemme:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Djqks1OXgAEcUFs?format=jpg&name=medium)
Les fra bunnen og opp! ;)
And that's it!
45 minutes in total with Marcelo Bielsa who was extremely interesting and very happy to field lots of questions. Striker Patrick Bamford up next in about ten minutes.
The challenge of getting Leeds back to the Premier League
I always manage the challenge with the emotion that it produces in me. Having been coach of Newell's Old Boys was the most happiest moment in my career. I worked there two times and they were very big challenges. I worked also in Bilbao which is a unique reference. I worked also in Marsielle and it is impossible that the atmosphere of the stadium doesn't move the people who go there. I am sure this possibility will have many ingredients similar to the club I just mentioned. Football is a surge for strong emotions and at the end of the day with football what you remember is emotions. It's better to have emotions than count money. Sometimes we learn this late. When you have enough money, emotions are a lot more important.
Bielsa now cracking jokes
The rules say that after half an hour we have to end the press conference because after 30 minutes the attention decreases. So please don't feel bored!
Bielsa now cracking jokes
The rules say that after half an hour we have to end the press conference because after 30 minutes the attention decreases. So please don't feel bored!
Why did you come to this job?
The project of Leeds, the line of work that Victor Orta proposed to me, the history of the club, the importance of the club, the support of the president to my ideas, made me think that this possibility to work here was bigger than I deserved. When they proposed to me something bigger than I deserved than I take it as a challenge.
Another of Bielsa - 35 minutes in now and everyone is loving it
Why did you come to this job?
The project of Leeds, the line of work that Victor Orta proposed to me, the history of the club, the importance of the club, the support of the president to my ideas, made me think that this possibility to work here was bigger than I deserved. When they proposed to me something bigger than I deserved than I take it as a challenge.
Bielsa on the fans
I was well received by the fans. I visited a big fair where we had 60,000 people and this allowed me to get to know the region where I am now. In Argentina I live in the countryside and there are many similarities in Yorkshire.
Are this week's new signings fit enough to feature?
Yes. We analysed the work they did with their former clubs and we think they are fit enough to be in the group.
What did you think to the friendlies?
I don't want to give a lot of importance to the pre season games. We still have two days to show what we are able to do.
And here he is!
Will Vieira be replaced?
Usually I express my point of view on a decision. I am not sure if another player will come in for Ronaldo or not. What makes it more complicated is that Adam will be out for six to eight weeks so we will have to think about it.
Bielsa on the squad
We evaluated the season and our conclusions - mine and those of the club were similar. And the club decided more or less that 15 players could go and I agreed with the names of the players could go. I saw all the games of all the players but i didn't train them. It was important that the club and myself reached the same conclusions because my conclusion would have not been sufficient and the club had to take into account my point if view too. Taking this into account we took decisions together and more or less for each group of three players that could go, we had a player coming in. So we added to the group some youngsters and we have a group of 25 players which is enough.
Bielsa on Vieira
The club decided to sell him and I adapt to this decision. I can't say that he is not a good player, he is a good player. If Sampdoria bought Ronaldo it indicated he is a good player and the sale of Ronaldo happens at the same time as the injury of another player Forshaw in a similar position. But we can find a solution.
Enough centre backs
Berardi, Jansson, Cooper, Shaughnessy, Ayling - we have these players. Even if we have just Cooper and Jansson as central backs, Shaughnessy is a defensive midfielder but he can play as a centre back too. Berardi can play as a centre back and Phillips can. Ayling has played as a centre back. But if we could add another option in the centre of defence that would be good too.
Who will be no 1?
Farrell will be the goalkeeper. During the whole season there will be a competition between our three goalkeepers - Farrell, Blackman and Huffer. The fitness of Farrell today is superior to Blackman's but it's not the only reason. We will do what we have to do to get Blackman fit, it's an obligation so this will be the scenario.
Bielsa on the attention on him
Leeds and its history, if we compare the history of Leeds with my own history we will find out that the media attention regarding myself is not very important.
Is he nervous: "There is always tension when you have competition and if there is no tension I would be worried. The first game is our first challenge that will be able to show what we are able to do."
Bielsa on Jansson - he won't start on Sunday
"I don't think he will be a starter. He had three weeks vacation, he came back six days ago and I had to take this into account."
Bielsa on Gary Rowett and Stoke
The rival is interesting for me. But I don't consider details as a priority.
Are Stoke the toughest: "It's a strong rival but it would be risky to say it's the most important rival before the season because sometimes what we imagined before the season starts doesn't happen, doesn't occur. It's very hard to predict, I wouldn't dare to predict."
Bielsa on Phillips at centre back
The dynamic of the game, makes that the player above the tactical scheme. Sometimes he has to play in different zones of the pitch and if different positions. A defensive midfielder for example can become a third centre back. It's the result of the dynamics of the game and it's also the product of a fixed scheme of three centre backs. Kalvin Phillips doesn't have a problem playing in both positions. Last pre-season the team never played with three centre backs but during last season he also had to play as a third centre back when the evolution of the game demanded it.
'Heart, mind and legs'
My style is not better or worse than others. It's the style I can transmit because it's the style I believe in. You cannot convince players if you do not truly believe what you say. The footballers are a mix of three things - heart, mind and legs.
Bielsa on the project
We want to impose our style and the idea is to play in the opponent's side. That means we will dominate our opponent if we can impose this idea. Our idea is to attack more than to defend. We try to link the three lines of our team without making any long balls or playing any long balls. These are our goals. But the opponent - there are moments in the game - could make us do things different to those that we planned.
Bielsa on Stoke
"We always imagined that we would have a hard game. It's always the same message, we have to show our fans that we are ambitious."
Bielsa on Forshaw
On Forshaw: "He will be back in about six to eight weeks. I could specify but it's not my speciality. He had an injury on the ligament of his foot. It's a bizarre injury. It's not bad news for the team because Adam Forshaw is a big player, a great player. But it's not very bad news because we have other solutions to this position."
Bielsa:
"We have a project and we know what we want to do. I am glad with all the work we have done so far. Of course we will have a better idea when we see the competition."
Is he happy with the squad: "I am happy with the team and if we can have some more players I will accept it."
Bielsa starts in English!
I want to say that my English is bad, I would be embarrassed if I heard me speaking it. But I will improve.
11.28am: Busy, busy
Probably around four times the amount of media here than normal, reporters from Italy, all sorts.
11.24am: The scene is set
11.15am: Welcome from Thorp Arch!
There's not surprisingly a larger than normal media presence for Marcelo Bielsa's first pre-match press conference which is due to start at around 11.30am.
Marcelo Bielsa and Patrick Bamford meet the media at 11/11:30am
We'll have live updates from Thorp Arch right here. Stay tuned...
-
White Answers
Bielsa speaking with great gravitas, intelligence, charisma and authority, yet still remaining very respectful and humble. What a guy.
8)
-
Tok tydeligvis et stort pressekorps med storm. :)
Merket meg denne. Han sier vi har godt med altrrnativer på midtstopper plass men: «But if we could add another option in the centre of defence that would be good too.»
-
Tok tydeligvis et stort pressekorps med storm. :)
Merket meg denne. Han sier vi har godt med altrrnativer på midtstopper plass men: «But if we could add another option in the centre of defence that would be good too.»
Virket som en jordnær type.
-
Før kampen borte mot Derby County:
Best examples
Peacock-Farrell says Bielsa is making the players watch videos of clubs like Man City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to study the way they play, and pass and move
12.40m: Bailey Peacock-Farrell faces the press
On having the no 1 jersey
I know some people aren't fussed. I quite like the traditional no 1 and I am sure the kit man does as well, it makes it easier for him with having to print my long name!
What did you think when Jamal Blackman signed?
I was expecting a keeper to sign. It's one of those things, you have got competition for all places in the team. We get on really well, it's good competition and we are enjoying training together.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell on the win v Stoke
I know what the lads are capable of and that's what we have been working on in pre-season. I am just pleased we could translate our methods on to the pitch.
That's it from Bielsa
Fair play to him for going into great detail about some of the tactical questions - and also on the size of the squad. Bailey Peacock-Farrell up next.
Quad injury for Dallas
Two weeks out
Can you play the same way away from home?
This is my goal. Usually the goals, you balance the goals depending on the behaviour of the opponent. If both teams wants to have the initiative it's not the same as when one team dominates and the other waits for the opportunity. Let's imagine the opposite is when a team waits for the rival. If both teams wait for the opponent we will have a big empty zone in the middle. If you have a team that wants to impose its style it's easier to play like that. But if both teams wait or if both teams have big ambitions, it's harder to impose your identity like that.
Liam Cooper/the captaincy
The captain represents the footballers. I don't choose the captain. From my point of view the captain has to be chosen by the ones he will be representing. As an observer, I think he is a great captain but the most important point of view is the point of view of the players.
How difficult to maintain that intensity?
"Everyone knows that English football has a special characteristic which is the intensity. I don't think it will be a difficulty to do something that English football already does naturally. There are many games but we have two players for each position. I hope we will have the knowledge to combine all the resources."
Is the squad too small/a risk? "Your question makes me think. I think it won't be a problem. But if some people see the problem from a different perspective I will have to take this into account. Because the experience of the knowledge in the Championship has to be taken into consideration. I suppose you make these questions because you know the Championship competition. I think that 50 games in ten months, it's not a figure that 20 or 18 players can't reach. But I'd like to express this precise point: the physical performance it also has to do with the mind. When you have many possibilities to play regularly it gives you a better state of mind. When you have more than 22 players, in some positions instead of having two possibilities you have three, this diminishes the enthusiasm. Usually I always think about 18 starters and four players that can wait a little bit before playing. We also take into consideration two or three players more, for example Clarke, Edmondson, that make a group of 25 players."
How good was the Stoke display?
The game was a stable game. The game didn't have many ups and downs and we dominated the most part of the game. The two aspects that characterise us more are that we get the ball back very fast and we make many passes building from the back before finishing the action.
Did it exceed expectations: "We can talk about styles but making many passes is not something very new. Trying to get the ball back is something very important in the game. I don't think what we propose is that new. In the moments that Stoke City dominated the game is when we couldn't prevent them from making ten passes. That makes me think that the game is not that different and the goals are pretty similar for each team."
On Lampard/Derby again
The head coach of Derby is a glory of English football and this always has a big influence on a team. Derby County is one of six most important teams in this Championship. Derby County deserves special respect.
Why no big celebrations?
In any case what you celebrate is the victory more than the goals you score. As a head coach I think I should celebrate privately not publicly. The ones that celebrate publicly should be the players and the fans.
On Jansson..
He is improving every day, he is getting closer to his best fitness and condition. And he is a possibility to be a right central back or left central back.
On Saiz..
He is a player that can create a lack of balance for the rival, he is a creative player. He has the capacity to find solutions by himself. And this makes him a special player. We saw during the game against Stoke he was a special player.
On his attitude: "It's a very good one. I saw he was very enthusiastic and very confident in his skills."
What 4 youngsters do you mean in the squad? Which are the 4 you rate the highest?
Pearce is one of the youngsters. Tyler Roberts is a young player too. Shackleton is also a youngster. Shaughnessy also belongs to this group. It's not only about the age but also the experience of the player in the first team.
On his bucket
I'm surprised that people talk about it.
Team news/Dallas out
If everything goes well it will be the same team and we won't be able to use Dallas.
He has an injury and he won't be available for a certain period.
On Lampard/Derby
It's a different game because it is an away game, not a home game. We will have to try and repeat the best moments of our first game and we will have to try and make these best moments longer moments. We will see if we can repeat what we did in the home game, we will see if we can do it in an away game. Our intentions are the same.
Where do you need to strengthen?
Usually I like to have two players for every position. Out of a group of 22 players, I like 18 players have the same level. And I like to have four youngsters that can improve their level to become part of the first team.
Can you maintain the intensity with this squad?
I am happy and to keep the intensity is the goal, we have to show that we are able to do this every game.
Bielsa on any transfer business today?
"I can't give you a definite answer. If I had something concrete I would let you know."
Are you a fan of the transfer window? "No."
Why - "I like when things are clear, I don't like periods of uncertainty."
11.24am: A bit different to last week!
A much smaller media presence this week compared to the 30 or 40 folk that were here for Bielsa'a pre-Stoke press conference. No sign even of Sky today. Just the die-hards.
11.25am: The scene is set
One seat for Marcelo Bielsa and another for translator Salim Lamrani. Due to start at 11.30am.
11.10am: Welcome from Thorp Arch
-
Adam Pope
Pre Rotherham press conference with Marcelo Bielsa will be at 5pm tonight. Bring you the details from Thorp Arch later. #lufc
-
Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa press conference LIVE: updates from Leeds United's head coach
Beren Cross
Good afternoon
Welcome to Thorp Arch, Leeds United’s training ground, where Marcelo Bielsa faces the media ahead of Saturday’s match with Rotherham United.
We have been told to expect him from 5pm, brace yourself for updates and every question and answer.
Awaiting the main man
In place and awaiting the Argentinian’s arrival.
He's here - question on Rotherham
Yes, the style is different. It’s not the same as the first two opponents.
Their feature regarding their style of play, is they clear long balls, play long balls to the strikers and they don’t play with balls on the ground. This is the main difference, but it doesn’t mean it is going to be like that.
That’s why I don’t want to make any clear opinions on the style of our opponents.
Leeds are clear favourites for the first time
It’s very hard to implement a style of play. It’s not easy.
It becomes more difficult if you’re not consistent, if you don’t respect the style of play. Taking into account the features of the rival, we will play as we have done so far.
You think we are favourites, you’re supposing we should feel superior to our opponent and these things are never decided before playing the game.
As we’re about to play this game it’s better to demonstrate than to say. Regarding our team before playing, we never feel we are inferior to any other teams.
Team news
I think it will be the same starters.
Derby game
We have additional passion during derbies. The result has an impact on the fans and obviously we will take into account this reality.
Any transfer news
No. Honestly, no. As I said the last time. There is a possibility we could get one player or maybe two.
Kalvin Phillips
He’s a player who plays simple. He’s good from a defensive point of view. He has a very good long pass. He has a good orientation of the game. He is very good to get the ball from one space and put it into a better space. And when we are outnumbered he is very good defensively.
Where to play Phillips?
He has the skills to play more forward. He can score goals, he has the capacity to score goals, but now he allows us not to receive goals and it’s as good as scoring a goal when you protect your team. When you avoid receiving a goal it’s as good as scoring. One of the new things football has, which is not common yet, but now we celebrate when a defender saves a goal.
Let’s hope we will always celebrate the real goals.
If Phillips was injured?
We can see that you thought about this subject. What would you advise me?
Question - are there others who can do his job?
I know that you thought about the question because it’s hard to find someone in this position to do the job Phillips does. Maybe in that sense we haven’t drawn our team perfectly. Vieira was the player most similar to Phillips. I think Klich, Forshaw and Shaughnessy, with different profiles, they could play as a number four.
Klich scores, has the capacity to score, but he has less predilection for the defensive play than Phillips. Forshaw is a complete player, but he doesn’t have the physical dimension this position requires.
The third centre-back is the number four because if we take into account the full-backs are very offensive players. In our case, our number eights are very offensive too. Klich, Baker, Forshaw are all very offensive. We need a defensive midfielder with a lot of experience. The best thing for us is if Phillips to play every game. If not, we have Ayling who can play everywhere.
-
Adam Pope
@apopey
Training as definitely calmed down since the pre-season says MB. #lufc
Sophie Levin
@sophielevin11
Bielsa on the risk of injuries or suspensions: "otherwise, we have Luke Ayling who can solve every problem"
If this gets one like I will tattoo this onto my back
LS11 - Proper Leeds United
@LS11LUFC
Bielsa: "I think Klich, Forshaw and Shaughnessy with different profiles could play as a number 4, defensive player." #LUFC
LS11 - Proper Leeds United
@LS11LUFC
Bielsa on how training has changed his pre-season: "We train less, we train with less intensity the sessions are not that long and if they last as long as they did before we have more pauses to talk." #LUFC
LS11 - Proper Leeds United
@LS11LUFC
Bielsa on keeping the players motivated: "It's part of being a professional player players have to understand they can bring something to the team if they don't play. It's also part of the understanding of the profession that you can't play the whole championship with 11 players"
Phil Hay
@PhilHayYEP
Bielsa on O'Kane/Ekuban/Anita futures: "When a player has a history as a footballer player, one way to respect them is to keep them inside the team if they have the possibility to play in another position. But if we have one position with three players, it's difficult."
Bielsa said he watched highlights of them last season and "listened to the opinion of the club" about them. Said it would have been "counter-productive" to involve players who had little chance of playing.
Bielsa says it's different with young players - he can have Shackleton/Edmondson etc on the fringes as 'third players' but not experienced pros like Anita/O'Kane etc. "Of course I can make mistake." Says that with Dallas injured, it would have been better to have Anita involved..
but it would be unfair to have a player with us if he can't get the time he deserves." #lufc
Bielsa says he doesn't know if O'Kane, Ekuban, Anita will definitely leave before the end of the window. #lufc
LS11 - Proper Leeds United
@LS11LUFC
Bielsa on players who haven't featured yet: "If we have one position and three players it's very difficult the third player gets time to play."
"We built a group where we have two players for each position, if we behaved in another way it would be counter productive..." #LUFC
Bielsa: "Of course I have to take decisions, the club took into account my opinion and of course I make mistakes but I don't want to make any mistakes because a footballer doesn't feel at ease." #LUFC
Phil Hay
@PhilHayYEP
Bielsa says he won't use his conections with Guardiola or Pochettino to land loan players before the window ends. It would be wrong to use a personal relationship for a professional reason. You don't have to manipulate these decisions."
Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa press conference LIVE: updates from Leeds United's head coach
Beren Cross
Del 2
Training intensity
We train less. We train with less intensity. The sessions are not that long. If they last the same amount of time, we have more pauses to talk to the players, but until now nobody has played twice per week apart from Ayling, Phillips and Saiz. Saiz didn’t play 90 minutes and Ayling played in a less demanding position.
More from Bielsa later
All finished now. We will have a full transcript from the head coach a little later this evening.
-
« The third centre-back is the number four because if we take into account the full-backs are very offensive players. In our case, our number eights are very offensive too. Klich, Baker, Forshaw are all very offensive. We need a defensive midfielder with a lot of experience. The best thing for us is if Phillips to play every game. If not, we have Ayling who can play everywhere.»
I Bielsas Leeds United: Luke Ayling, den nye Paul Madeley? 8)
-
Før Norwich borte:
En fascinerende pressekonferanse - det skriver både Phil Hay og kilden vår her, Leeds Live...
Pre Norwich pressekonferansen.
13:00
Any minute now...
Bielsa doesn’t normally keep us waiting, so I’d imagine he’ll be here any moment now...
13:02
Five minutes
Five minutes, we’re told with an apology.
Keep on holding on there...
13:08
Here's here...
And starts with an apology for being late.
13:08
Latest team news
Cooper won’t be able to play, neither Dallas, neither Forshaw and we’re waiting for mores regarding Jansson.
13:10
Is the squad being stretched?
No, not at all.
Because if we make the maths, we have four players less. Dallas, Forshaw and Cooper won’t be able to play. If we had a fourth one Jansson, but we already knew that and we also work with the under-23s and we have some players playing in this position who could offer us some solutions
13:16
Has anything about the Championship surprised Marcelo?
Before starting the competition you can draw up an analysis, a table, with the rankings before the games are being played. You can establish a ranking before the start of the Championship, taking into account the budget, quality of players, strength of the institution.
But then, when you play, the differences you see at the beginning are not evident, you don’t see them. There’s a term which says that you can win before playing because of the history you have as a club. They games you’ve played before. And this doesn’t happen in the Championship.
For example in the Premier League, it’s hard to find which teams will finish in the top six. It’s the same in Germany, Spain, Italy, France and this competition which is among the ten most important in the world does not respond to this logic.
I’m sorry to give you such a long answer.
13:13
Defensive problems against Swansea - are they resolved?
When we have a problem our hope is obviously to find a solution.
When we make a mistake, it allows us to detect it and try to find a solution.
I can’t assure you that the problem won’t happen again.
But when I can tell you is that when we are aware of a problem, we are in a better position to resolve it.
The problems I saw in the last game, we didn’t have them before but I take into account that Shackleton played in the position of Ayling, that Ayling played in the position of Cooper and in the position of Phillips, Klich played.
Usually Shackleton plays as a number 8, Ayling is a full-back and Klich is a mixed midfielder.
The three players just mentioned could play in the positions they played in the last game, the profile of the team was more offensive with these changes, the lack of coordination was more probable to happen, so it’s my job to find solutions
13:18
At half-time you take your subs in, rather than have them warm up - why?
This happens sometimes, not always.
And there are some messages I wold like to transmit and I would like all the players to listen to these messages.
During half-time we have ten minutes to give information during the game. As each player can participate during the the game, it’s normal that I want them to listen to what I have to say.
13:28
How pleased were you that the players stuck to their style at Swansea, despite being behind?
You know it’s not easy to change the style.
To transmit a style to a team, you need time to do that. To integrate a style, to assimilate a style, you need time. Sometimes it happens in a short time, sometimes you need more time.
And when you win games it makes it easier to assimilate the style because human beings believe more fastly to things which allow them to win.
The idea to have alternative plans which is considered a virtue, I don’t really share this point of view.
I think we have to do what gives us more possibilities. The goal is to do better, not to stop doing it and change the style.
Because when you know how to do different things would mean that you have to share the time available to share ideas in different goals. So it’s natural that the same function that two players with different features can do the same function.
But this doesn’t change the style.
Harrison is a winger who does deep movement. He always tries to find the ball behind the opponents.
Pablo is a winger who strengthens his play getting the ball before the line of the rivals.
Our style makes us play on the sides, but you can do this play in different ways.
You can play deep or make combinations and do that with other players, so as a matter of fact, our ambiton is to find more solutions to one problem, but the style is the same.
This question separates the world of football. I don’t think I am the master of the truth. I try to explain why I act like that. I know in the world of football, all the people don’t share my point of view.
As a common fact, the substitute don’t go to the conversation we have at half-time. So when this matter is brought to the table, what I say is not always the sub comes to hear what i have to say. But what I think, they should always be here to listen to what I have to say at half-time. Because the way we think the game, they won’t listen to how we think about the game.
So an alternative answer would be that football is easy, you have nothing to say about it. But we have to analyse the game. We have to analyse during 10 minutes the first half, so what would be the argument? What would be the reason for the sub not to share this moment? Common sense says they have to be here to hear what I have to say. This is my point of view. But we also have to take into account the POV of the people who think opposite.
What is really important is that football offers you different POVs on one same reality.
If we don;t understand that you have different POVs regarding one topic, your question would have been meaningless, but your question is interesting because we have different POVs on one situation, because you linked result with the style. But I didn’t say this, I say no, we need the style to get the results.
I have a lot of work with such a complex explanation.
13:37
So you have a plan A and you always stick to it - no plan B?
I study and I try to learn those who propose an alternative plan. My point of view, I’ve just explained during ten minutes.
I always analysis and study the other point of view to see if I have to change mine. But the thing I cannot do, I cannot do this because my job is to try and convince people on what I think that to transmit what produces triumph, good results on a specific moment. In order to convince people I have to believe in what I’m saying. Because the footballer only believes something he truly believes in.
Because when the footballer finds out the head coach was trying to convince you and doesn’t share the POV they were trying to convince you, it just abandons you.
I’m going to tell you a serious mistake I made. The kind you don’t forgive yourselves.
I was the head coach of a great striker, Crespo.
He was a very generous player. I trained him in two different moments, a young player and then when he was an experienced player.
When he was a young player I told him once that I thought he was a player with maturity, but I was lying to him. I was trying to strengthen his self-esteem.
Giving him a skill that I didn’t think he had. After some time when he got the maturity I told him now you’re really a mature player, not the same player as before.
What did he think? How come you told me I wasn’t mature before? You lied to me?
Because before you told me I was a strong player but you didn’t believe it. I cannot forgive. I’m right not to forgive myself.
I tell you this not to just tell you a stroy.
My goal is to publically apologise to Crespo because I know I didn’t tell him the truth. It was election forever, I learned that lecture, but I already knew it, because if you lie to your son in order that your son gets something from this artificial moment of strength, the lie, you will just resolve the problem for that day, that moment. But you will have actually weakened him in the future. Because you will have convinced him he has a feature he will only have for a small ammount of time. You have resources that you assimilate forever and this is having maturity.
But when you are not mature you can have some resources you will have when you a mature player, but only for short amount of time.
THe mistake I made with Crespo, to get him involved was to tell him he was like this forever and actually that did not work. Because he went even further than I told him before.
It’s a nice example because it’s Hernan Crespo. A very good player.
13:41
On Norwich's pink dressing room - do these tricks work?
The pink colour is linked to women. For babies when they are born, if it’s a boy we given them something blue, a girl, pink.
We can’t say that men can’t say that women are not a source of stimulation.
But this relationship, he stimulation between men and women happens between a man and a woman. Before a game you don’t have any colours which has a capacity to weaken the desire for training or competition.
The pink colour is a meaningful colour between the relationship between a man and woman, but not for a game.
We told our equipment colleagues to put some papaers up in the dressing room before they come.
13:42
What are you expecting from Norwich?
Norwich is a team that plays better than the points they have. And they won their first game and I think we will play against them and they will have enthusaism very high, which is good for us.
13:42
Many changes off the back of the busy schedule?
This coming Saturday, I don’t think so. For next Tuesday I’m sure.
13:46
How pleased with Bamford off the bench?
I’m very happy with the performance of Bamford’s last game. He had am impact on the game. Harrison had an impact, not as important as Bamford, and Baker too. And these three players gave vigour to the team.
13:50
How did Kalvin Phillips react to being substituted so early on?
Normally, he trained as usual.
I value and I appreciate his professionalism, his behaviour, when I took this decisions, which is not a frequent decision
You know there is an unwritten rule that resolves the relationship between footballers and the head coach because we are colleague.
I always analysis the decisions and when I make wrong decisions I always hope that my players do not show that I made a mistake.
We have different jobs but the player makes mistakes and I make mistakes too and we have to be tolerant when we make mistakes.
Usually I say I made a mistake, thank you for not letting me down.
13:58
And that's all from Bielsa...
Wow, where to start?
That was fascinating. Plenty to dig out of that. Stay tuned.
-
Wow! For en type!! :o
-
Wow! For en type!! :o
Joe Urquharte
That was the best press conference ever. #lufc
-
"The goal is to do better, not to stop doing it and change the style."
-
Fy f.... Mannen er jo full av quotes for evigheten. :D
Hva med denne forresten: «I always analysis the decisions and when I make wrong decisions I always hope that my players do not show that I made a mistake. We have different jobs but the player makes mistakes and I make mistakes too and we have to be tolerant when we make mistakes. Usually I say I made a mistake, thank you for not letting me down.» ;D ;D
-
For ikke å snakke om den grundige analysen av fargen rosa... Eksentrisk kar.
-
Mye følelser i Sør-Amerika:
I’d Radebe Leeds
Hernan Crespo's "open letter" to Marcelo Bielsa following the comments made by Bielsa towards Crespo in yesterday's press conference. Mind is completely blown as to how we have this guy in charge of #lufc
Crespo TILGIR Bielsa.....
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DlWi8WLXcAEs3_z?format=jpg&name=900x900)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DlWi8WiW0AAxADD?format=jpg&name=900x900)
-
Gentlemen!
Hernan Crespo responds to Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa's public apology
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DlWvHfDW0AAxtEn?format=jpg&name=medium)
Phil Hay
Published: 10:24 Friday 24 August 2018
Hernan Crespo has accepted an apology from Marcelo Bielsa over an old fall-out between the pair and insisted he held no resentment over what he called “a tremendous disappointment to be deceived by a great leader by you.â€
The former Argentina striker published a statement on Twitter this morning after Bielsa said sorry publicly to him yesterday over an incident which took place when Bielsa was manager of the Argentinian national side.
Hernan Crespo accepts Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa's apology.
Hernan Crespo accepts Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa's apology.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of Leeds United’s game at Norwich City tomorrow, Bielsa recalled how he had lied to a young Crespo, falsely talking up his maturity to boost his confidence and prepare him for the rigours of international football.
WATCH: Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa's apology to Hernán Crespo in full
Several years later, Bielsa contradicted himself by telling a more experienced Crespo that he had grown up as a footballer, upsetting the striker in the process. Bielsa said it was “the kind of mistake you don’t forgive yourself for†and described it as “a lesson forever.â€
“My goal is to publicly apologise to Crespo because I know I didn’t tell him the truth,†Bielsa said. “I’m right not to forgive myself.
“If you lie to your son now, in order that he gets something from artificial strength, you will resolve the problem for only that day. Instead of strengthening him you will have weakened him.
In his response today, Crespo left no doubt that the incident had upset him, saying he had given a “crude response†the last time the pair discussed it.
But the former Lazio and Chelsea striker, who played for Argentina throughout Bielsa’s six-year reign from 1998 to 2004, said he no longer held a grudge and regretted not resolving the fall-out sooner.
“Your apologies made me rewind through 14 years of pain I still have inside,†Crespo wrote. “That feeling made me write this letter.
“When you speak you run the risk that anger will push you to say an unfair word. Thinking, writing gives you time to reflect, even though it does not change what I felt. It was a tremendous disappointment to feel deceived by a leader like you. The sadness was as great as the esteem I had for you.
Plan B is plan A ... just done better for Marcelo Bielsa
“Like you, I never opened the doors of the changing rooms to the media or to the people. Today I do it publicly because of the words that came from Leeds. Of course, Marcelo, I accept your apology. I forgave you a long time ago, if I should forgive you. I'm sorry we did not do it personally, not even by phone. But it's never too late.
“We both know that you had already realised ‘the grave error’ long before this statement. It was clear the last time we discussed the subject. You remember how you talked to me and what my crude response was.
“The most important thing is the lesson from the situation we now remember. As you told us so many times, we must deal with the truth without deceiving the other. At the end of the road whoever does this is not only the best leader but also the most mature one.
“It made me happy to hear this Marcelo. I send you a hug.â€
-
"The pink colour is a meaningful colour between the relationship between a man and woman, but not for a game.
We told our equipment colleagues to put some papaers up in the dressing room before they come. "
;D ;D
-
Phil Hay
Bielsa on whether he can improve Hernandez as a player: "I think he can improve me as a coach." #lufc
Bielsa had loads to say about Hernandez. Said he's worked with very few players as effective out wide. "He's a silent leader. He improves every player around him and he does this without saying anything." #lufc
-
25/8-2018, etter Norwich borte:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xqsplb35-EA
Ã… se dette gir litt mer enn å få høydepunktene på Twitter!
Bielsa har en utrolig personlighet! Han fremhever andre på en utsøkt måte!
-
Før Middlesbrough på Elland Road:
Marcelo Bielsa full transcript: Every word the Leeds United boss said ahead of Middlesbrough game
The Whites' head coach served up more insight into how he sees the game
Leeds United press conference with new Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa.
Bielsa spoke on Wednesday lunchtime (Image: Simon Morley)
Marcelo Bielsa gave another typically fascinating press conference on Wednesday afternoon, as the Leeds United boss turned his attention to a series of topics.
Friday night's showdown with Middlesbrough was top of the agenda with Bielsa also discussing injuries and transfers, but he also gave lengthy discourses on the matter of tactical styles and why he isn't too concerned by the early Championship table.
Here's every word from the Leeds head coach's 43-minutes press conference...
After last night's defeat, is the perfect game to bounce back?
There is no link between the two games without taking into account the defeat yesterday.
It won't affect the team's momentum, then?
We hope no. And we work for it.
Last game before the break - how important to be top?
Bielsa saw his side defeated for the first time on Tuesday evening
For us, the important thing is to win the game on Friday.
We don’t take into account the table at this moment of the competition.
How long before the table is meaningful?
The table is always important for us. What I wanted to say is the coming game on Friday is important by itself.
It’s not important because we can be first. It’s important by the game itself.
When I explain that the table is always important for us and at the same time I say we don’t look at the table so it looks like a contradiction, what I’m trying to explain the important thing is to finish the Championship in the best possible conditions or position.
If we take each segment of the competition and that’s what you propose me to do with your question and if we make segmented conclusions we will be making a mistake.
This conclusion I see in the media and the press taking the example of last season at the middle of the competition Leeds was third or fourth of the table and at the end they finished 13th. So there’s a reference to this situation. The content of the reference, the conclusion is not to get too enthusiastic right now and the idea is to keep doing what we doing until we reach our goal.
Lewis Baker applauds the fans after the match. Carabao Cup Second Round - Leeds United v Preston North End - Tuesday 28 August 2018 - Elland Road
Leeds host Boro on Friday night (Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
We need to observe what is happening right now and this is expressed in two questions.
The first one is the defeat yesterday will have an impact for this coming game against Middlesbrough and the value we give to the position in the table of Leeds right now.
And as the goals are definitive ones, not partial ones I try to make a conclusion taking into account this reality.
What are you expecting from Middlesbrough? Will set pieces be key?
The aerial game is a feature of the Premiership and it has a lot of influence so I guess we’ll see again this feature during Friday’s game.
Any new loan arrivals before Friday?
I can’t give you a positive and answer and I can’t give you a negative one.
How did Marcelo react with the players after Preston? Was he angry with the performance?
Marcelo Bielsa looks dejected after his side went down 2-0. Carabao Cup Second Round - Leeds United v Preston North End - Tuesday 28 August 2018 - Elland Road
Bielsa says he is never angry with his players (Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
No. I’m never angry at the players. I understand, I analyse, I try to help, I try to give solutions and I try to give value to the performance.
Is Marcelo's reaction to a defeat similar to a win or draw with the players?
When I lose I’m sad. And when I win I feel happy. With relations with the players, the previous answer I gave you is my conclusion with this.
In the game of yesterday we had three groups of players.
Young players, very young players. Experienced players. And players who are getting involved with the first team.
One thing that this loss produces is we lose a space in a competition. We lose the possibility to use this competition for the new players and we also lose the possibility to give experience to the young players.
During the game of yesterday we had the starting XI was very different from the one against Norwich. The team needs more than one player for each position. What we need is to have two players for each position. And we develop this process with training sessions an competitions. If you have a look at the team who played the most, the players are those who started the pre-season with us and players who have experience inside the institution. To add players to this basis we integrate footballers and we try to promote young players.
Broadly speaking we had 18 players and we added six players. These changes has an impact on those who are playing.
And we were developing this process between the Championship and the cup. And that’s why about the defeat I also regret that we lost because we lost this opportunity.
How much of a challenge will it be to give those players more minutes?
Daniel Johnson celebrates scoring his side's first goal. Carabao Cup second round - Leeds United v Preston North End - Tuesday 28 August 2018 - Elland Road
Bielsa made nine changes for Preston (Image: Rachel Holborn/CameraSport)
We have many resources. Training sessions each week, the under-23 competition. The needs we have when you have an injured player, a suspended player or a player who is not playing that well. So I think we’ll have opportunities for these players.
Where will the threat come from against Middlesbrough?
It’s a team which occupies the first place, the first ranking. They represent a very well worked style of play. the head coach is a recognised one, an experienced one. And we have a challenge between two teams with the same number of points and the two teams who occupy the first and second ranking. So these are all the ingredients you can add to this game.
What is the latest on Adam Forshaw and Liam Cooper's injuries?
Cooper has a possibility to play on Friday.
And Adam Forshaw will be available after the international break.
How much of a boost would Cooper's return be?
If he comes back it will be a plus for the team. He’s our captain and he’s a courageous players, an important player and if he can’t play we have other options for the position and these options have the same qualities.
How pleased are you with Pontus Jansson's recent games?
Pontus Jansson applauds the fans after the match. Carabao Cup Second Round - Leeds United v Preston North End - Tuesday 28 August 2018 - Elland Road
Pontus Jansson has returned to the starting line-up (Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
He was one of the two best players in the last two games. He didn’t do the work we did in pre-season and so far he has played three games.
And in these three games he played at a level close to his potential.
Is Marcelo happy with his squad are would he like one or two more in before the loan window closes?
It’s a possibility that if we get a new player it’s because they will have a plus for the team. And if nobody comes we have enough players.
Is Middlesbrough the biggest test so far?
It’s difficult to make comparisons.
Because when we played against Stoke or Swansea we had an opposition, an important team against us because they were a couple of months ago Premiership teams. It’s an important rival, opponent, no doubt about it. It’s going to be a very difficult, tough game.
But I don’t want to put classification between teams. But for me the next game is always the most difficult game. And in this case, this particular case we have many reasons to think that this coming game is the hardest one.
Jamie Shackleton and Tom Pearce took knocks last night - how are they?
Jamie Shackleton battles with Josh Harrop. Carabao Cup Second Round - Leeds United v Preston North End - Tuesday 28 August 2018 - Elland Road
Jamie Shackleton was taken off a half-time (Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
For Pearce it’s not very important. He just receive a kick on his leg. Very painful, but just a kick on the leg.
For Shackleton it’s an ankle problem, but we’ll see how this evolves. He’s a very tough player, a courageous player so these aspects of his personality will make it easier for him to come back.
Will he be a doubt for Friday?
I don’t know either for him or Pearce. I'm just telling you what I saw yesterday.
You have a number of players who used to play for Middlesbrough - Bamford, Forshaw, Harrison - would you be speaking to them to get their advice?
To get information on the team?
Yeah, the style they play in, etc
If it’s necessary, of course I will listen to their point of view. But the style of Middlesbrough is well known. Because the head coach of Middlesbrough is a legend in English football.
Is the game a clash of footballing styles?
It would be pretentious from my part to say that.
To think that our style is one that could be opposed to another one. To represent a style you need more continuity in the footballistic expressions.
And to recognise one style you need to go through a process of demonstration that shows that you are faithful to the style you are playing. This is more of a reality of Middlesbrough than Leeds. We can’t say so far that we have a particular style.
Tony Pulis during the FA Cup third round match between Middlesbrough and Sunderland at Riverside Stadium on January 6, 2018
Bielsa had praise for Tony Pulis (Image: Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)
As someone considered to be one of the great tactical intellectuals of the modern game, does it matter about style? Is winning the most important thing? Or do you have to win with a certain style?
It’s hard to answer this kind of question. But I’m going to try to answer it.
But please, admit that I can have a lack of facility.
The resources you use to overcome the opponent, you never win playing bad.
You never win if you don’t attack.
You never win if you don’t take into account the use of the ball.
You can avoid using these resources for a small amount of time, a short period so you make a confusion when you present as an alternative when we win in any way or win in a certain style. When you say win, it doesn't matter how you win, you should express, tell us, what do you mean by 'whatever the meaning is to win'?
Because sometimes at clubs like Leeds United or at Manchester United and Marcelo knows Sir Alex Ferguson, who is a great admirer of Marcelo, Alex Ferguson ultimately, although he had style, wanted to win. The most important thing was winning and not style, although there was style at Manchester United and as Pep Guardiola is trying to do at Manchester City. The point is Marcelo is a stylist, he is intellectual and I wonder if winning is ultimately the most important thing for a football man?
Ferguson was a huge head coach. Never won without the style. It would be unfair that the public think that the question is winning with style or winning without style?
It’s winning with one style or winning with another style. And what we are comparing right now actually is taste, sensibilities, feelings.
If we only had two opposite ways, if football was reduced to Guardiola style or Mourinho style, both styles propose a path to reach success.
You wouldn’t have any head coach who would say that the style is above success. What he’d rather say is with this style I’m in better conditions to reach success.
From my humble point of view, I think there’s a difference between how you presented the question and how I modified your question.
Tell him I appreciate that.
If it was like that I’m not convinced I actually did what I just said. If we had these two different ways to see the same problem, the public opinion should know that we don’t have one style to win or anything to win. We have two different ways to win.
Bielsa spoke at length over style vs results
That was my point - you can have two different ways to win.
I think we should oblige the public to recognise what kind of football they like because if the public does not recognise the type of football they like, they will only be attracted by success.
And when you only value the success and don’t take into account the resources need in getting the success you lose the feeling, the sensibility and the hierarchy of values disappear to you.
I’m not saying you have good values and bad values. I’m just saying you have different values. As football has a lot of influence to tell to the public that the only thing that matters is success, you don’t give importance to what football means to the people.
The beauty, the game, is what it means to the people.
England is known by world football because they don’t like people who cheat. Am I right?
Yes, absolutely.
That’s what I wanted to say.
-
Før Millwall borte, 15/9-2018:
Her er hele pressekonferansen (transkript).
Men i dag er jeg lazy så du får lese det nedenfra og opp for å få det i riktig rekkefølge... :)
13:00
That's all from Cooper
We will have the full transcript from everything both Cooper and Bielsa said on the site soon.
12:59
'It's been a breath of fresh air'
It is the biggest game of the season because it is the next one. It has been a breath of fresh air for the club. He’s come in and took this job because he thinks he can take us to the next level and fair play to him. The players are loving it at the moment.
12:54
'It's another game of football'
It’s another game of football. It has its history but it doesn’t affect me.
We know what we need to do - we need to win the personal battles. We can beat anyone in this league.
12:52
Cooper on the striker injuries
Everyone who comes into the team knows their job. You are always going to miss the goals but it is a chance for the others to come in and stamp their authority.
12:51
Cooper accentuates the positives
We know what we have got to do and we know our jobs and we know we will get a positive result.
12:50
Cooper on Millwall
The experience last year will pull the lads through. We are professional enough to get over it and we will play our game.
12:49
Cooper on Bielsa as a manager
We all know where we stand and have a lot of respect. We trust what he is telling us. The style of play is how football should be played - long may it continue.
12:48
Bielsa's regime
We have got really fit. I think if you ask any of the lads - it is the F***est they have ever been.
12:47
Cooper here
“The players are delighted - but we know we are only six games inâ€
12:44
That's all from Bielsa
Bielsa had a lot to get off his chest. Cooper coming next!
12:43
More from Bielsa on injuries
Regarding injuries I would like to make a short comment - the performance of the players is getting worse when you don’t have any activity - when I say official games. So the games for the U23 is a possibility to put players who play less, because if otherwise they won’t be fit to play in the first team. That is why I am trying to explain why Bamford played for U23 and why Blackman and Baker have too. So when they go in the first team they will be fit enough.
When the injury to Bamford happened - we always criticise the decision we take but we have indispensable decisions to make. The injury of Bamford - we didn’t have any doubt about it. When he jumped and then he fell he hurt his knee - I am giving this so you don’t think it is imprudent to give minutes.
Adam Forshaw has not played in the last two months - it will be an obligation to feature in the U23s - if he plays in the first team before it will not be ideal.
12:37
Berardi and Hernandez
Berardi has injured his knee.
Muscular issue for Hernandez - recovered well then in preparation he felt another point in muscle - time for recovery we planned. We will respect the time of recovery.
12:36
Is Millwall the biggest test?
If we look backwards we didn’t have many injured players and we didn’t have injured players in the same positions so I can’t deny the fact that it is difficult. We always talked about the fact we have 18 starters and four players in this group and four youngsters. So now we will see how good was the work we did when we built the team. I told you that for each game you play there are always four players missing - for this coming game it is more than four players but the club has a structure and we came into this structure. We have conditions of work and have an academy that gives us young players so gather all these forces which goal is to resolve this kind of problem mentioned.
We have to accept the fact that we have to find solutions. The opponents also have realities different to ours and problems they have to face. Sometimes they have problems more difficult than ours.
12:32
Bielsa on his manager of the month award
I am thankful and share this award with all the people who allowed me to get this far. The staff, football players and colleagues and fans who support us.
12:29
Bielsa on hostile crowds at games
I have been doing this job for the last 30 years and I have never been affected by the lack of civil from the public or fans. Not because I have a big tolerance - just because I know we can
I am not very familiar with the atmosphere of football at Millwall - I have been spat on, assaulted, thrown bottles to me, never nothing serious happen to me.
The seriousness of any social behaviour I don’t have to judge - what I can say is I don’t have a problem to tolerate it. I don’t want to play the role of the victim in this kind of behaviours.
It would be giving importance and recognition to people giving this tool
We have to admire how the fans love their club and England has been the country who tried to eliminate this kind of violence in football. The hooligans do not exist in English football anymore. The other countries take England as an example.
12:23
Millwall atmosphere
We are clear of the hostility and it is civilised competition. The description of the atmosphere is just an anecdote - I can’t think of any fans who would have more influence than ours.
It is very important for us to receive and we have to prepare for the support the other team will get.
12:21
Hernandez injury
He was well and then got injured again.
I have the intention of not giving an answer as an excuse.
I say that we can solve the absence of Pablo, Bamford and Roofe - I wouldn’t want to ignore what they represent for the team. They have the conviction I am convinced and we have been working with a lot more than 11 players.
The time has come to show the product of the result of what we have done so far. Sometimes when you ask a question it is difficult to tell the truth without going in a position to common sense.
I am worried when I analyse the reality. The people who don’t take into account the reality are people who dare too much. I do not ignore reality but I am always full of hope before the game. Before any game I always have a lot of hope that invades me - I have more expectations for what I can get in the following game than for the resources I can use.
12:16
Bielsa on tactics for Millwall
You evaluate the styles especially when you play against teams that have an opposite style. It is always something new that we have to find a solution to. If we are faithful to our style, especially when the opponents try to neutralise us. So we will see if we will be faithful to our style or make concessions against a rival. We might have three possibilities.
The first is not to take any risk that we have to take to be faithful to our style.
The goal of this is to try to make the mistake provoked by the opponent - this is not the most important thing.
I am not willing to choose this first possibility. The second option is to be faithful to our style and then this allows the rival to make an opposition. I wouldn’t choose this option either because usually the teams who fall into this are described as naive teams and we criticise these kinds of teams. We all know that syles are valid if we can overcome the rival. The content of the style is only safe if we have success and there is a third possibility. This is to be faithful to our style and to our rival - what will happen is one of these possibilities.
The game against Boro was a good scenario to find the answer to the question. Against Boro we had the ball and possession but few chances to score. The opponent had more chances to score than us with a tool that is very easy to implement. And for us it was very difficult to neutralise this tool.
It is difficult to play against these things when there is a difference between the size of players but we did a big effort and prevented Boro from scoring any goal. I think the game against Boro prepared us for this coming game. We have the obligation to improve our performance because before play against Boro we knew what opposition we would face.
Against Millwall it is more important because we know what opposition we will face and also because we have the experience playing this kind of game.
12:09
Bielsa on the difficult Millwall fixture
It will be a game similar to the one we played against Boro. It is a team that doesn’t have the same ranking as Boro but they did things in the past that describe the possibilities. A team that is with the same players for a long time - they has simulated the style and will face similar difficulties against Millwall as the ones we faced against Boro.
12:05
Roberts is the first option
The first option we have is Tyler Roberts and we have also other possibilities.
I am happy that other players are ready to play. Roberts has made many efforts, and played 40 minutes as a number 9 for his international side.
12:03
Bielsa on injuries
First topic - injuries for Leeds:
- Berardi still needs time to come back
- For Bamford a little less than four months.
- For Pablo it will be more than three weeks.
- Roofe won’t be able to play either - he has received a kick that means he is not allowed to play.
We have four players missing but we have solutions to face these problems.
-
Noen som har funnet et opptak av dagens pressekonferanse?
-
På twitterkontoen til Leeds United kan du se den igjen noen timer etterpå.
-
Etter Millwall
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/watch-leeds-united-head-coach-marcelo-bielsa-reflects-on-millwall-draw-1-9351499/amp?__twitter_impression=true
-
Før Preston hjemme i ligaen:
Team news
Injury wise, Berardi and Shackleton are getting close. Roofe and Hernandez need more time. Bamford obviously longer. But none of them will be involved tomorrow
On O'Kane breaking his leg
I was not aware of that. I am very sad about it and sad for him. I am ashamed to find this out. I should have got this afternoon faster and that's all I have to say.
Phillips at centre back
I don't think that at the beginning we did it to have three centre backs. When we play with a line of three we don't have to ask Phillips to play in a lower position, we have other possibilities. We have different tactical possibilities that adjust to the game.
On Neil Harris saying Leeds celebrations were a disgrace to English football..
"Everything that happened at the end of the game is clear enough so there is no necessity to explain it....
"If the river has too much water in it, you have to consider the reasons why."
Bielsa answered this in great detail but basically saying you have to consider why Leeds celebrated as they did. Said Leeds were being accused of behaving "as a savage."
Also said that behaviour doesn't relate to whether you are foreign or not
On what makes a good captain?
A captain has to be a good person, the values that our captain transmits are summed up in the fact that Cooper is more interested than the collective well being of the team than his own well being. Our captain is generous to help his team mate and he also has humility. If you combine generosity and humility it makes him an example for all of us and we always have to take into account examples of people who are better than us, this is not linked in to the fact that if he plays well or not. He will still be a great captain even when doesn't play.
On Izzy Brown
It's a very different case, it has been a long time since he played, he still has to recover, he hasn't started to play with the ball, he hasn't played football with us so far. It's impossible to say when he will be fit. It won't be a short time.
Will senior u-23s players feature tomorrow
Yes. I explain again, it's not good that a player plays 45 minutes before another game, even worse than this is when you need a player to go and play a game and he doesn't have the tempo and fitness to play a professional game. It's better to have more activity and having the player closer to his best performance than have a player rested but far away from his best level. The decision I am taking without explaining this would be imprudent.
On Preston
Preston is a special team because Preston's players have the skills to move the ball. They have a position in the table that they do not deserve. I always have the feeling of confidence, it doesn't matter who we are playing against, I always think we can win, it's part of the DNA of our profession.
Do you sense promotion is possible?
I see that we are getting stronger in each game. It's not convenient to talk about the final position when we have just played seven games, it's too early to draw conclusions after just seven games. Any conclusion that you take right now would not be a solid one because football is a game where you have many surprises. If you take into account the last game, the seventh game for all the teams and if you look at all the results, if we compare your questions to the reality of each team, it's very hard to make conclusions and draw conclusions taking into account all the things happening. We all think that when we make early conclusions, means that we have a lot of knowledge, and football is the first game in the world regarding it's unpredictable aspect, you can't anticipate the results in football. The day when you can predict the results in football, football won't be that attractive and technology is trying ti make many efforts in that sense and I don't think we should go in this way because football is famous because of it's unpredictable aspect.
On being top
From my point of view, I can't talk the name of everyone, it's not a pressure and it's not something I take as positive. In each game we have the obligation to win as in professional football. When you have a good performance people expect things from you, I don't think the position in the table generates pressure or makes things easier for us, we will always have ambition to win.
Showing qualities of a promotion winning team?
We need a longer period to evaluate if our team has the skills to get promotion.
There is a difference between the first games we played and the last three games. The injuries and the absences of some players are part of the difficulties you face in this competition, all teams face them and we are facing this kind of problem right now. But this difficulty was visible because all teams will have ti play games without the presence of important players so the difficulties we are facing, the other teams have the same ones, maybe in a different period, before us or after us, but they will face them.
How important to get back to winning ways?
It's not a good habit to stop winning, apart from the meaning and the features of the draws, our aspiration is to win again. No matter of the results before, to win is a necessity.
Bielsa is here....
-
Bielsas svar etter Preston-kampen:
Phil Hay
Bielsa asked towards the end of the press conference to do a one-on-one with a French TV station. Says for 20 years he has only done press conferences, nothing else, and won't be changing tack. Nice try.
:D
-
Phil Hay
I'll say this - every press conference is an education.
:)
-
Matt Bellair
Just on three months since Bielsa took charge. Don’t think it’s hyperbole to say not only has he improved our players immensely, he’s making us better supporters and better journalists. The legacy has the potential to be to that of Chile, Old Boys, Bilbao etc. #lufc
-
Før Birmingham
Pressekonferansen:
17:30
He's here...
Right, let’s see what the Leeds United head coach as got to say...
17:31
Home form important - how much of a statement would back to back wins be?
Every time that a profession team plays, the win is an obligation.
I don’t think it would have a special impact if we win.
17:32
Birmingham are yet to win - but are they in a false position, given how hard they are to beat?
It’s a team that concedes very few goals. By itself it’s a difficulty.
The few goals they conceded doesn’t correspond with their ranking so the fact that they conceded few goals means an important difficulty for us.
17:33
On Garry Monk on the job he did at Leeds
He was the head coach of a team that finished 7th as far as I know. So it’s a fact that he’s important for any Premiership head coach.
He was the head coach of several teams so he’s an experienced head coach.
17:35
Is Tyler Roberts the solution to the injury worries? And what will the goals do for his confidence?
When a number nine scores it always gives him confidence. In both games he played he was a link to the opponent’s box. He did’t score against Millwall but against Preston he scored twice. The important thing is that he creates chances to score and then when he scores more goals he will become an important player.
17:36
Are the team exceeding expectations at this stage of the season?
A club with a such a history of Leeds has to have the hope to go to promotion.
17:37
Are you expecting Birmingham to be very defensive this weekend?
I can’t tell you in advance. One of the features of Birmingham is they concede very few goals.
17:37
On injuries
The injured players won’t be in the group and able to play against Birmingham.
17:39
What other sports have you taken inspiration from for your coaching?
No, not particularly any other sport, no. When you watch other sports you make associations with certain situations, but these sports, basketball, hockey, rugby, but I don’t make any lasting parallel between those other sports and football.
17:41
Who inspired you to be the football coach you are?
I started as a head coach 35 years ago. I received a lot of influence from Jorge Solari he’s a master for me. I was with him at Newell’s Old Boys.
I collaborated with him, but I also watched a lot of Louis van Gaal.
17:42
Are you impressed with how your players have understood your methods?
Our team is faithful to some features.
The assimilation of a style is not only a method. More inmimportant is the influence of each player regarding his willingness to assimilate new styles.
To convince the player to adpot a new style is more important than the style itself.
17:47
How does this side compare in attitude and application to the better squads Marcelo has worked with?
Frankly I admire the professionalism of the English player. I am sure this is not a new thing for English people. You already know that English footballers are very serious, like players from Great Britain are very serious. So it stimulates you to develop plans of work with these kind of players. It’s also important to say I came here with ideal conditions because we had a long pre-season. The fact that we had a long period thanks to the World Cup means we could work and make decisions without hurrying.
And another thing that is important is that this club has 15 players and a group of 5 or 6 youngsters and if I had to make an evaluation of them and an opinion I wouldn’t want to change the players I had.
And you know very few teams can say what I’m saying. I can tell you that I have 12,13,14,15 players I would not change and we also have 5 or 6 young players with possibilities so it indicates that this club has good football health.
And the players are broadly speaking pretty young all of them.
17:50
It feels like this has taken hold quickly?
I have an advantage and not every head coach has it. During 10 years in my career I worked as a head coach of national teams. ANd this allows you to develop mechanisms you can transmit to the team in a fast way. Because when you prepare a game with the national team you only have two days and you have one game per month. So not every head coach has to face this kind of situation. And you can’t learn how to serve problems that you don’t face.
So I think I have the advantage of being in situations where you have to make fast solutions. We also have to take into account a pre-season which lasted 7 weeks, that’s a lot of time and we also had one month before the pre-season to analyse the team. And we also had a good basis regarding the players, we didn’t have to bring in many players. All these aspects are advantageous.
17:52
Do you want to see more improvements?
You know this is unstable, cyclical. Our performances against Millwall and Middlesbrough were not the same against Preston, Derby and Norwich.
The games versus Millwall and Middlesbrough were tough games for us. That’s why we can;t say that our team is a strong team.
Because we need to do things that we have not done before. It’s long distance run.
17:57
Is it still a priority to grasp English or is that no longer essential, given the speed your players are learning?
Yes, it’s a priority for me to learn English.
What I’m going to say doesn’t mean it’s not necessary to understand and speak English.
What I can tell you is the less you speak, the better you are as a head coach. Because you communicate not through words, but through the actions in training sessions. When you see a team is assimilating a habit it’s not because you talk a lot. It’s because you did practical facts that allowed the players to assimilate an idea.
17:59
That's all from Marcelo
And he’s done. Some interesting stuff in there.
We’ll have more for you shortly.
-
Prøver å legge inn pressekonferansene her også! Godt å få samlet gullkornene:
Pressekonferansen (før Sheffield Wed (b)):
Jeg må si jeg koser meg med å få tilgang til de detaljerte svarene til Bielsa, de forskjellige spillerne også for så vidt :)
13:29
He's here
First question coming up...
13:33
Take positives from Saturday?
It’s not a responsibility of the players. It’s a decision I took, and a wrong decision. The reality of the game indicated to me I did not take the right decision. I knew we had two options.
The possibility of building a line of three with Bill Ayling or Phillips. I decided to build the line of three with Phillips, making him do movements forward and backwards. Two possibilities of being in front of Cooper and Jansson or behind.
With this system I could keep all of the good things from the Preston game. Samu and Klich attacked well from the centre to the sides and Phillips started the game well as a four. I wanted to keep all of these positive features of the team.
When we didn’t have the ball I wanted to build with a line of three and with the ball a four, but it didn’t work. This was a mistake. I thought it would work, but it didn’t. That’s why the players are not responsible and I will try not to make any mistakes.
13:34
Learn about the players from defeat?
We had a problem. We had two goals we conceded. We couldn’t change the situation. What we did was not enough. In spite of this I think we didn’t deserve to lose, I even think we deserved to win. We didn’t play well, it was very hard to play well. These are my conclusions.
13:35
Next challenge to respond to defeat?
Whenever you lose you always want to win. If it’s a derby the willpower to win increases.
13:38
Spoken to players about mentality after last year's decline?
It’s very difficult to make any comparison because I was not here last year. IO know what happened last year, I know what you are trying to underline, I know it’s a derby, but I don’t think it’s good to compare both situations. The good idea is to resolve this situation right now.
It’s difficult to make comparison like the one you suggest. It’s not the best thing to predict you are going to have storms. We always try to be consciously optimistic and we have solid arguments to build optimism.
We’ll have to show that next Friday.
13:40
Forshaw - ready to start?
Yes, Adam is a player ready to play. There is a difficulty he has to solve. This difficulty he can only solve by playing. Before getting injured he was the best player in the team. He was the best because he had six pre-season games to be fit. He has not played in the last month-and-a-half. He’s physical performance is top(?). The real proof is during the game and the challenges of that. Now we are in this process, but he’s ready to play if we need him. ;)
13:41
Injuries
Bamford and Brown won’t be with us for a long time. Roofe is close to the first team, not immediately, but he’s close. Berardi and Pablo also are close to the first team, not as close as Roofe.
Shaughnessy it will be a little longer. Shackleton is already in the first team.
13:41
Changes?
I won’t change any player.
13:43
What have players shown in training?
You don’t react in the same way after a win than after a loss. After the game we lost, we asked some questions together. We built our conclusions together. We have had so far two training session where each player can express himself.
The conclusions are positive ones and I have a lot of hope for Friday’s game. I don’t know if I answered your question.
13:43
Enjoy seeing them express themselves?
I am happy with that. Maybe I don’t understand the question. There is only one possible answer to the question. How could something positive make me sad?
13:45
Sheffield Wednesday - thoughts?
I couldn’t tell you. I think it’s a team that has many possibilities tactically. The differences are not linked to their defence only. Also have different possibilities for attacking midfielders and strikers.
13:47
How to combat their strengths?
They have many offensive players with different features. They played all of them. Number nine and 17 in the axis, 45, 19, 37, 20, these are many offensive players. They combine together in different ways and play in different positions. We have to adapt to how they play and how they position themselves.
13:47
How to combat their strengths?
They have many offensive players with different features. They played all of them. Number nine and 17 in the axis, 45, 19, 37, 20, these are many offensive players. They combine together in different ways and play in different positions. We have to adapt to how they play and how they position themselves.
13:50
Birmingham's low block being copied?
Apart from the style we chose we have many teams in the Championship who play like that. Half of the games so far had these features. I honestly think we have all the ingredients to play against these teams. It;s something common and frequent to attack in small, reduced spaces. When you have a team that defends in its own half you have small spaces and when you have small spaces the offensive players don’t make movements to free themselves. When you have free spaces the natural movement is to take the free space.
When you have many bodies in the small space the trend is close and ask for the ball. This is the worse thing you can do because if you do that we already have small spaces and if we do that, these spaces become even smaller. This is the difficulty created by the opponent. We know what we have to do to solve this kind of problem. The first step is knowing what to do, the second is doing it and the third is doing it well. You have to imagine what would happen if both teams played the same way. What kind of spectacle would you have?
13:58
Braver passing?
It’s not about daring to do something because the only thing to do is that because if you don’t, you just stop playing. If you don’t make passes, the only thing is to play long balls and give the ball back to the opponent.
What you are talking about, the system of playing against small spaces, if we play like that the only solution is to wait for the opponent’s mistake, the one playing behind the line in his own half. The opponent is waiting for your mistakes. It’s a legitimate process (confused sentences here). When they try to lead the other team to make a mistake and with that mistake, they want to try to take advantage of the mistakes made the team that wants to play. They want to counter into the wide open spaces.
You have two paths - either you risk playing and make a mistake because when you play it’s implicit you can make a mistake. The other path is you don’t play. This is a possibility too. Just imagine a game where both teams do not want to play. If the last game lasted 15 minutes, if we did exactly the same, we would play only 25 minutes out of 90.
This is among the rules. The rules allow you to do that, but this is not the spirit of the game. I assume my position regarding this problem. My position is to try to reach the beauty of the game. It’s a lot more difficult to reach the beauty when only one team wants to play. Please don’t understand what I’m saying that the fact of reducing spaces and not playing, if you do this, the rules allow you. I’m not complaining about that. I’m just talking about the difficulties we faced. The fans who are the centre of our activity is obviously in love with the result. We should know, also, this link with the result, we should ask ourselves if the fans are ready to put, as a priority, the game.
We could ask, for example, to the fans of Leeds, what they would have preferred: us to lose as we lost trying to overcome the opponent, even if we couldn’t play well, and assuming all difficulties we faced, or would the fans have preferred we draw the game without playing because if we hadn’t played, we cou;d have got one point.
We have to point out these aspects.
14:02
Phillips - difficult being withdrawn early twice
I decided to substitute Kalvin. This does not draw the portrait of Kalv, it draws my own. If you deeply analyse the decision I took you will say I corrected a mistake I made. For me, it’s a very difficult situation for two reasons. The last thing I want is to hurt a player as noble as Phillips because he’s very generous. I can’t make the same mistake again. If I think the game is not well designed and I don’t take a solution, I make a double mistake because the first mistake is I made a mistake and I wouldn’t dare to correct the mistake. I take the decisions I think are the best ones.
We could say ‘poor Phillips’ but the people who understand football say ‘what a bad decision Bielsa took because he has to change after 30 minutes a decision he took.’
When I didn’t substitute Phillips, he didn’t make any mistake. BY making the change I made the mistake.
14:10
Peacock-Farrell
He made a mistake in the first goal. This is in evidence. In the eight games before he played better than he played against Birmingham.
14:10
Derbies in Argentina
What I saw in Argentina, the emotions when training, I can’t have the same emotions here.
14:12
Where does Championship rank for him globally?
It’s a beautiful competition. Football starts with the fans and with the stadiums. Football is also about the passion the fans feel about it and then you have the game, the beauty of the game, the spectacle you offer to the fans.
Here in England the passion is on a high level and the spectacle, the beauty is sometimes good, sometimes bad as in all leagues around the world.
14:15
Forshaw - unique qualities?
Forshaw can play as Klich and Klich can play as Forshaw does. Klich is a complete player, he can play in each level of the pitch, in defence he attacks, he can play in the axis and in the sides.
Forshaw is the same kind of player. He’s very dynamic, he’s flexible. When he has to build offensive responses he is as implicated as when he has to build defensive ones. Their physical capacity are very important. They are not players that can make a difference by themselves. They make the difference associated with their team-mates. They can’t do what Samu Saiz does, the only player who can do what he does is himself.
They all midfielders, but Forshaw and Klich are different to Saiz.
14:17
Always protect your players no matter what?
I think I gave some strong arguments to explain why I was responsible and you’re asking me a question, I’m not talking about your intention, I don’t deserve to be asked this and I’m going to explain why.
When the head coach says he’s responsible and doesn’t give arguments, what they are saying is the real responsibility is the players. Because if you don’t explain why the people who listen to this say it’s not the head coach, it’s the players’ fault.
I reject this kind of practise. That’s why I am surprised. I gave arguments why I was responsible. I don’t know if the arguments are right or wrong, but they are solid. You have substance in the argument.
14:20
Always protect his players, not Birmingham...
I never say something if I cannot give arguments for it because otherwise people would suspect me. Whenever I say something I try to give arguments and when I say something, I am saying what I think. I don’t say what is good to say, but there’s something I should honestly tell you. You cannot be a leader if you don’t assume, publicly, the responsibility. You can’t be a leader if you say the responsibility is the team’s.
Beren Cross
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-press-15202402
-
Fabelaktig:
https://twitter.com/skyfootball/status/1045781848385900546?s=12
:)
-
Fabelaktig:
https://twitter.com/skyfootball/status/1045781848385900546?s=12
:)
;D ;D
-
Før Hull borte:
(Les fra bunnen og opp!)
That's a wrap from Marcelo
On the under-23s
Six players that will be subs tomorrow played today's game. We could say that we have 18 starters and usually four are missing because they are suspended or injured and you sub these players missing with young players - Shackleton, Clarke, Pearce are youngsters that come from the under-23s and Leeds has a tradition of forming players and I like to collaborate with that project. If you don't watch the games of the youngsters you can't take that into account.
When will Roofe, Pablo, Berardi be available?
I think that they will be available for the next game after the international break. Shaughnessy too. These four players.
Do you believe in squad rotation - or is it strongest team every week?
When a team regularly wins nobody is tired and they all want to play. And when you lose several games, we take into account the performance more than the state of the player. That's why I think that we use the rotations more for the performance than if a player is tired. You could reply that when a player is tired his performance is not very good, but when a player when he does a good performance he never says he is not tired.
Would it be easier now if Roofe and Pablo were available?
For example, the two chances that Tyler Roberts had against Preston, you could compare them to the Roofe ones against Derby. These two chances to score are similar to the goal that Roofe scored against Derby with the cross and also the goal he scored against Stoke. Tyler's second goal is similar to Kemar's goal against Derby - the headed goal. I think Tyler Roberts is good in front of goal, I think Roofe is also a good finisher, and Bamford also.
So is it more difficult to influence games off the bench now?
We had 15 chances to score, if we had kept the common average that we had before we would have scored four goals. It's hard to respond because that means I would be saying Roofe and Pablo and Bamford never miss a goal. And it's very hard to say something like that. And then I would be saying Roofe, Pablo and Bamford would have created 15 chances to score. It's difficult to take everything into account because the creative player and the offensive chances you have are the thing that is least visible in football. That's why I try to avoid getting involved in these kind of responses. This point of view that I coming out with, you know that this kind of point of view is right and you don't need me to tell you that. You can't predict the offensive play, it's unpredictable.
Lack of goals - missing Roofe and Pablo?
I am aware of the skills of the two players you mention. But with Roberts and Harrison we have solutions, they are solutions to finish. What I can tell you is that 70 per cent of subs you make in the games are linked to offensive players, in the last Premiership, last season, 70 per cent of the subs made we linked to the wingers or no 9 or no 10. This tells you that the creative players and the strikers and the offensive players, they are responsible for the most difficult task in the game. I also can tell you that I would love to have all the offensive players because this allows you to rotate, that gives several solutions to one position.
What expect from Hull?
I couldn't really tell you. For some teams you know what game you are expecting, like Millwall or Middlesbrough or for in a different style when you play against Derby or Norwich, you know what team you will face. Against Hull, they can play like Middlesbrough or Derby, or maybe it will be a mix of both styles. This is what we answer when we don't know what to say!
Do all players do this?
Mainly the offensive players and sometimes the players who have the possibilities to finish these actions.
Can you help players finish goals?
There is a routine of exercises that we do for finishing, 14 different points. With these 14 different ways to finish an action we see all the kind of goals we can score in football. It's a very short exercise within ten or 15 minutes we have done the different situations and the player has the information in this period - we have to repeat this many times because the mistake allows you to improve your skills, when it is a pro footballer the good thing is just to work on the finishing once for each week because at the second or third attempt he is trained enough and will finish will so that's why we make pro footballers only do this one time. This indicates that above the quality, that apart from the skill you need it is also linked to the state of mind, to many factors. That's why if you insist on the training of these actions, it is good and convenient but I wouldn't say this improves the finishing effectively.
On seeing Tottenham and Poch - did you catch up?
No I couldn't see him.
On Hull
The difference between the leading teams and the other teams, you don't see that difference when they play one against each other. We all know that games that we are going to play will be more difficult than the table indicates. We lost a game against a team that was not in the upper part of the table.
Could Roofe be involved this week?
I don't think so
Need to be more clinical?
We work on the finishing. If you are efficient in the training session this does not guarantee it during the games. Usually we as head coaches we work on creating chances to score. You can't have an influence on the result of the game, you work on the chances but you can't work on how good you finish. The best teams in all competitions, the leading teams, usually they need three chances to score a goal. I was making the difference between the leading teams and the big teams because the leading teams are not always the big teams. If you are very efficient you can lead the table even if you are not a big team, if you are not efficient, even if you are a big team and create a lot of chances to score you might not occupy the ranking you deserve. In a nutshell efficiency is something important in football.
Bielsa on not getting the wins from strong displays...
We will get what we deserve. Sometimes you do the right thing and don't get the result and sometimes you do the wrong thing and get the result. If you don't do the right things you can't suppose that you will get the results in the long term. On the other hand if you do the things right you will get what you deserve."
3.30pm: Marcelo is here....
3.25pm: Ready for Marcelo - and Salim of course
-
Før Brentford (h):
Presser'n: :)
13:31 Douglas injury?
He won’t be available for this coming game.
13:32 What does that mean?
It’s a difficulty not to have all of the players available. We have the solution of Dallas and before Douglas arrived he played an important role as a full-back.
We also have Tom Pearce in the same position. Without minimising the impact of Douglas we are always prepared for solutions.
13:33 Adkins's praise on Tuesday
I thank him for what he said. And especially when it comes from someone like him who knows the league so well, but this increases the obligation to prove the good words said about us.
13:36 Statement being top in the break
We lost some points during our journey and they were not linked to the absences. Especially in the games versus Sheffield and Birmingham. I wouldn’t argue we lost these points because we didn’t have enough players.
I always have a lot of consideration for those not available, but we have to be ready to resolve the absences we can have. The performances of Jansson, Roberts and Harrison are satisfactory.
For the next game I hope we can keep improving.
13:38
Beren Cross
Severity of Douglas injury
He will be available to play after the international break, but I couldn’t assure you that.
13:37 Smaller squad he wanted - justified with injuries?
I would say the opposite because we now have more absences than what we thought. I always think as an average four players would be missing for each game, now we are above this average, but I have a lot of consideration for the work done by the academy.
It allowed us to count on players like Shackleton, Clarke, Edmondson, Shaughnessy. They are covering the absences of our more experienced players.
13:41 Long penalty wait - 49 matches
I like the hard way the referees work in England. The tempo of the games is linked to the fact English football is noble(?). I say English football and not English players because we have many foreign players here.
Obviously the fans don’t celebrate speculation and people trying to cheat. That’s why the players read this message and doesn’t simulate. It’s a lot easier for the referee not to evaluate any simulation.
He has the conditions that allows him not to doubt when he sees an action. I always think if the referee takes the right or wrong decision, they always need to be supported by the actors in football because their job is very difficult.
They deserve respect when they take the right decision and deserve consideration when they make a mistake. Those of us who take an opinion on the referee have more resources than they have when they take the decision.
13:45
Beren Cross
Good game?
There is something very constant and a high percentage and then you can figure you out when you’re watching the game as a spectator. When you say good things about a player the next action, the next player makes a mistake. I don’t know if this is frequent here. In Argentina it’s very common, it happens all the time and those who do the same job as you, whenever this happens they refer to the conclusion I just made. That’s why I wouldn’t like to make any comment. I imagine it will be an attractive game, but I don’t want to risk it with my opinion.
13:44 Brentford style
It’s a team that needs the ball. You have many teams who feel comfortable without the ball than with the ball and this is not a criticism. Brentford wants the ball, they know what to do when they have the ball. They want to play, they don’t want to lose time.
When we don’t play it’s not a good thing for the side because the best thing Brentford does is to play football. If I said they have a style similar to ours after having described the opponent’s style as I just said it would be pretentious for us.
I describe their style, but I don’t take the virtues I mentioned about Brentford’s football for us.
13:48 We call it the commentator's curse
Games are related and explained by two different type of person, like here. One tells and the other interprets. When we say good things about a player the following action he does something wrong.
That’s why sometimes you have to ironically say a good thing just for something bad to happen...
That’s a message that football sends us. When you anticipate something it doesn’t mean you know what’s going to happen because we all think we know what’s going to happen.
The football warns us it’s the most popular sport because it’s unpredictable.
13:52 How do United compare to opponents so far
We have teams like Middlesbrough, they are very strong in the aerial game, in the 50-50 balls, they are strong and you are sometimes afraid of them.
You have teams like Derby County, just to give an example, they have other features linked to an offensive process that is different. There’s a style I like a lot, Preston’s style, and they are in the lower part of the table.
When the result becomes the only argument the opinion does not matter anymore. When you evaluate what a team produces as an exclusive argument we would not need any press conference because we wouldn’t have any subject to talk about.
We have a situation where we talk about football, but we still consider the result most important.
Because we always have to adapt to the important laws that rule. It’s not efficient if you do the opposite. It’s hard for me to defend things...
Preston and Brentford, they have a similar style, with young players with an attractive football, but they had different results with a similar style.
I don’t think we should take my opinion into account. but to be sure of what you’re saying we need to see a lot more.
13:59 Has Bielsa ever had a cabbage thrown at him?
I don’t see this is as barbaric as you see it. This means I have bad habits and you have good habits.
14:03 On Adkins's comments
The destinatory of these words should not be me, it should be the players, but I accept the good words and I am thankful for the good words of Adkins.
When you reject good words you can think people are falsely modest. I hate false modesty because you want people to think the opposite of what you are saying.
For example, you could say with the same players, the head coach is having better results and this is not true because the last season, at the same time, after 11 games Leeds had a better ranking. What confirms my opinion is we always have to be thankful to people who say nice things, especially when it’s a colleague who has a specialised view on...
Even more when it’s an experienced head coach like the one of Hull or Middlesbrough. Having said that, I only wish we will deserve the same good words at the end of this championship because we have many things to prove, to demonstrate that has not happened so far.
14:04 Been here four months - enjoyed the culture?
This is a countryside region. Am I right? <Yes, in parts>
I’m a countryside man more than a city man. And I like fish and chips, but I like even more the Argentina meat.
14:07 Bed in the office? How many hours a week studying football in his office?
Apart from football I don’t know how to do many things. My life is summed up by football and family. Football has taught me, but to understand it better, it is better to watch a good movie or read a good book.
It’s better to read a good book or watch a movie than insist on the topic of football because when you insist you make many efforts, but don’t take a step forward. The kids do that with their hair, but when you observe and watch football in an exaggerated way, you don’t improve. The obsession is described as a virtue.
We identify obsession with work. When I look obsessively at my work I know I am close to a failure.
-
Før Blackburn borte:
14:25
Beren Cross
What convinced Bielsa Lamrani could be a good translator?
I feel safer when I have consideration for people who are with me. The most important thing for me is the human quality of the person.
14:24
Beren Cross
How did they know each other?
Answer in Spanish.
14:23
Has there been to much on Saiz's shoulders in recent weeks?
In our team he’s one of the few players who can give a solution to the team. This is his main skill. And when you ask the player to do the player what he does the best it’s never (?)
You have cycles, seasons, moments, that can affect or improve each player. Saiz is a different player. He’s one of the few players with this feature in the Championship.
14:23
Beren Cross
Rory Smith here - from the New York Times - how Bielsa and Lamrani met?
We met each other when I was working with Marseille.
14:22
Will Pablo's return help Saiz?
Pablo has a positive influence on all the team and Samu is a member of the team. It could happen, or not. They speak the same language, they are form the same country. They both have a strong personality.
14:21
Would it be a blow to Roberts' confidence to drop him?
We have two possibilities for one same position. They can play together, also.
Both can play as strikers or both can play as a No.9 or as a winger.
When you have competition with two players for just one position it makes both players better.
And if you have a player who is becoming weaker because of the competition with someone else, it’s a player who we didn’t chose the right player, because professional players are specialist in completion because they compete with opponents, the difficulties of the game and also with the teammates.
14:19
Opinion on Blackburn Rovers?
It’s an opponent with experience. It’s not easy to play against them.
They have a good balance between their individual skills and their competitiveness.
14:17
Beren Cross
Make Newell's more competitive
When you have things that build the stability of the club, this makes the club more attractive. When the organisation of a club is efficient you’ll have players who want to come to the club and you also have coaches who want to work in the club.
Important to raise the standards across the board. The capital of Newell’s Old Boys is very important. The assets of NOB are important, the people who support the club and the training ground is a very interesting one. We work a lot with young players. It’s just a small gesture towards the club.
14:15
Beren Cross
Newell's Old Boys investment
From the club that formed me I received more from Newell’s Old Boys than what I gave to them. I’m paying a debt than making a gift to Newell’s Old Boys.
The infrastructures of an institution make that the preparation of a team develops well. The teams, according to the quality of the players. Two things are important - the quality of player and preparation they receive. The infrastructures makes them better.
14:13
Beren Cross
What was worked on in the break?
We dedicated a lot of time to the offensive play and inside the offensive play we work a lot on the movements to free ourselves.
When we do these movements we try to work the possibilities to receive the ball behind the opponent.
14:12
Beren Cross
Hernandez's age
We have many tools to evaluate the performances of each player - the physical, the technical and expressions of personality.
When you take all these possibilities into account, the margin of mistake becomes smaller, but we have to admit intuition is important in our job.
14:10
Beren Cross
Selection headaches on recovered players
It’s not very hard to see if a player is in a good shape or not. The thing allows me to take the decision is the level of production of players who fight for a space and then you have many nuances. The experience, the personal history, the variations of the performance, those who are justified. I don’t have only one rule, but at the same time it’s not very difficult to find arguments to make a decision.
What I can tell you is in several circumstances I have made the wrong decision.
14:08
Beren Cross
Jansson - comments - disappointed?
I would have preferred Pontus didn’t say that. Because actually the referee’s a colleague of both teams. On the other hand his task is very difficult. If we understand the task, the role of the referee we will help him.
The role of us on the bench gives us, allows us more serenity than the players on the pitch. If Pontus had time to think about it, he would have said the same thing.
I understand the players, when they make many efforts, and they think their treatment is not fair. This is an opinion of a 63-year-old man outside the pitch.
14:06
Beren Cross
Alioski at left-back?
So far he has given us good response as a winger. To put him in a position should be a necessity for us (?) It’s either because of the result of the game or for the features of the players who play for the opponents.
14:05
Beren Cross
Jansson?
We’ll see what happens.
14:04
Beren Cross
Harrison?
Muscular injury. It’s not serious injury because he will be back next week, but this will prevent him from playing the next two matches.
14:04
Beren Cross
Pleased to have them back?
Well, actually we have some players who will miss the game. Douglas, Harrison, Ayling. We always have an average of four or five players missing, but it’s important these three we mentioned came back.
14:03
Beren Cross
Injuries
Roofe, Pablo, Berardi, these three players are fit.
14:02
Beren Cross
International break - achievements?
We had a group of players who needed to get some rest. Another group needed the opposite thing, which pace and tempo.
The third group were the international players and we have them back now.
tick with us and follow the updates below as Bielsa arrives at 2pm.
-
Liker denne uttalelsen fra pressekonferansen:
What was worked on in the break?
We dedicated a lot of time to the offensive play and inside the offensive play we work a lot on the movements to free ourselves.
When we do these movements we try to work the possibilities to receive the ball behind the opponent.
Med gode økter på offensiv samhandling og Pablo og Roofe aktuell for en startplass kan vi håpe på en boost. Satser på at pausen bringer tilbake energien og tempoet vi har sett i de beste kampene i sesongstarten.
-
Før Ipswich hjemme
Les fra bunnen og oppover:
That's a wrap from Bielsa
A 33-minute press conference and probably his longest ever answer to Sky's Tim Thornton, essentially on what has been going wrong. Superb answers as always.
Sounds like Jansson and Douglas will be missing, certainly not starting - but that Harrison will play and it sounded like Hernandez will start.
Last one from Bielsa - are there any more injuries?
He smiles: "You think we don't already have enough?!"
"Not in this last half an hour we haven't had any more no!"
On Douglas and Harrison
It would be risky and premature for him (Douglas) to play this one but probably Harrison will play.
Could he start Clarke?
I thought about it. Every time Jack Clarke gets in and plays a game as a sub he gives positives answers, he is a very young player and he is a giving a good answer because he plays as a sub and he plays good, gives a positive answer. He brings things to the team. I think the process I am following with him and giving him time will give him time to improve
Bielsa on what is going wrong
I have 15 players who know each player because every day I trust less my
my opinion which means I compare my point of view to the 15. The fitness coaches, the goalkeeper coach, my colleagues, assistants and we do it very seriously because when we have a difference bigger than one point, when one of us puts a note higher or lower than the average we try to find out why so he ask him to convince us or we convince him. We are doing this very seriously. The wrong things is to attribute the wrong things to the wrong reasons. In the last press conference one of you asked me if it was difficult for us to play disputed games. Look at how I can influence. I started to think about this. In order to make the 50-50 balls a weak point for the team there is something that is very meaningful. How do we play out? How do we get the ball from the defensive sector to the attacking one. If you look at the worst moments from our season you will see it is against teams how did not less build from the back in a good manner. Against Blackburn, it was not harder for us to build from the back and reach the last third and the two most influential players were Klich and Saiz because they could play through the lines, but when we can put the ball in the last area of the pitch easily, we think the attack would be easier but curiously in this last game we had very few chances to score. I thought that we had problems and that we played worse when the game and lines were closed and we had problems, actually this was not the problem. The problem against Blackburn was that the last pass and assist did not find the right destination
Brilliant from Bielsa after his very long answer - to Sky's Tim Thornton
I think we should close this press conference because we cannot have another subject, I left our friend speechless so I prepared myself well to avoid a second question! If you have a second question you will hurt my pride a lot!
More from Bielsa - we are not the best
Are we the best team in the Championship because if we think we are the best team in the Championship we would have the right to think that all in the cycles, that we don't have to go through the same cycles and compared to the other teams I don't think we are that good. All the teams have ups and downs and we can't say we are good enough not to have ups and downs. Imagine that in the last 8 games we had 4 wins, we would be the leaders of the Championship and you will find in the last 8 games we played, it is not hard to imagine we could have won 2 more games but 1 thing is to justify and one is to explain, I am explaining things. You can't justify why you don't get what you can get. I am just sharing with you my analysis and I am responsible for all of this. In each case I insist a lot to improve as much we can the aspects I mention and I have the resources and the authority to improve things in all things I mentioned and if I can't do that it's because it will be my responsibility.
In a nutshell
The most important one is the matter of efficiency. Usually an opponent, to score a goal against us, does less than what we have to do to score a goal. The efficiency is one of the few things you can't work on because you can't train it. What you train on is the offensive play.
On one win in five - a long answer from Bielsa from here
In the first 5 games we won 4 of them and in the last we have only won 2. .It's impossible not to see a problem in this case so we are trying to make the right diagnostic because otherwise any correction would be a mistaken one. We need to correct, we need to change this cycle of results and we have to find out what is the real reason why we are not winning games. From my point of view the main reason is we need more chances to score one goal. At the beginning of the season we needed 2 or 3 chances to score, now we need 5 or 6 chances and this is very important. You have other aspects too that I analyse and I analyse to see if I could change things. For example in the first cycle of 5 games two players were missing, now in each game 6 players are missing. Sometimes to get the sport fitness takes longer than to take to recover from an injury but actually we found good solutions for the absence of some injured players, I don't think it's a justification. Maybe the level of the subs is a little bit lower but I don't think this is the main problem. The physical performance has always been a satisfaction. It was not a problem for us to get the ball and impose our style. Of course in the last press conference one of your colleagues made an interesting comment and we should take it into account. the point was about the opponent playing with physical game and frictions. It's very difficult to prepare a group for two different things - to play with the ball and to play disputed, friction games. Of course we need to be prepared for both comments because before starting a game we won't know how many aspects we will play with one and how many with the other. We are the second team in terms of number of goals scored and we are the first team regards the goals missed. The next team after us missed only 50 per cent of the chances we have missed. We are less efficient and we could build the offensive profile of the team. This is a long answer because I am giving you the analysis that I made. Each point I mention is to know how to play when the game becomes a disputed one.
The need to start winning
We always think about scoring a goal, about getting closer to the goal, first of all because our ambition is to win the game. If we can't do that then we have to score a goal to get a draw or a win. In the case when we are winning the best way to keep the score is to keep attacking. If we don't attack it's not because we don't want to attack.
On Jansson and Hernandez
Probably Pablo will be a starter tomorrow. Jansson will come back tonight and I don't think he will be a starter tomorrow and we will see if he will be able to be in the group.
1.30pm: Marcelo is here
On time as always
ETTER IPSWICH-KAMPEN:
Kan sees her:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=jWY0OcFS2_s
:)
-
Den mannen, altså...
Thomas Bradley
@TBradley23
Bielsa fielded a question in French during his presser. Salim translated Bielsa’s answer back in English to the press. 5 minutes later it dawned on Bielsa that Salim hadn’t relayed the message back in French for the journalist so made him translate the answer again. My man
-
Før Nottm F Pressekonferansen:
We're in place...
We’ll be hearing from Marcelo in, oh, about seven minutes,
Here he is...
Right, lets see what the boss has to say...
Team news first
Gaetano Berardi has an injury which is not a simple, an easy one.
And Barry Douglas will play Monday with the u23s.
From Monday on he will be available.
On Berardi's injury
You have sometimes injuries provoked by an external pressure, hyper-extension.
He received an external pressure on the corner and he had to extend his muscle more than he could.
How pleased were you with how Alioski and Harrison worked together on Wednesday?
I don’t think I would put the same players in the same positions tomorrow, at least not at the beginning.
Because of the opposition?
I haven;t taken my decision yet, but Alioski will probably play as a winger.
How close are Pearce and Forshaw to starting?
We have a small group and all the players are close to being starters, including Pearce and Forshaw.
Is Saiz in a period of frustration with his performances at the moment?
The game against Blackburn was an acceptable one.
Saiz got many balls close to the opponent’s box and this is his main skill.
In the last game against Ipswich he had less contact with the ball. It was a closed game and harder for the creative players.
Anyways, having said that, the first goal we scored is due to the fact that he could avoid the pressure at the beginning of the action.
Forest have the worst record in the fair play table - will it be a physical game?
From what I’ve seen of the opponent, they have good players in the midfield and attack. We see that it’s a team that has developed very well it’s system of play.
And it didn’t appear to me that it’s a violent team.
On the contrary I think it’s a team with a lot of enthusiasm and good play but you’re giving us evidence that we didn’t know.
It's just a stat - interesting to see if that has an impact on your preparation for the game
Many time we get misled by statistics. But we shouldn’t think that this kind of statistic be misleading.
Because any sanction taken by the referee deserves the action. But I didn’t observe that.
How do you assess the progress 14 games in, with about a third of the season played?
After the game against MIddlesbrough, Tony Pulis, he’s a wise man, he knows a lot about the Championship, and he told me that it was very hard to keep the regularity of the team in the Championship. We are an example of that. Because we can’t impose our style all of the time.
The level of the team is the same one but the players have ups and down. Even if we play 30 per cent of the Championship so far, we want to take into consideration teh regularity of the team, the time we’ve had so far is not enough.
I’m not sure yet that we’ll play all the games with the same level. And at the same time I’m not sure that we’ll play with the same level at 90 minutes. To be trustworthy for us when we make an analysis we still have to work a lot on this to get the features of the big teams. And I’m not talking about the beauty of the style. I’m talking about maintaining the same consistency. It’s hard to play well and when you play well it’s always easier to make differences with the opponent.
But the strong teams can neutralise the opponent even when they don’t play well.
So we can sum up this with a contradictory sentence, which would be: It’s not easy to play bad.
The name people give me as a nickname, I would like you to transmit this for me.
How much does being top and the team to catch mean?
It’s a misleading position. It’s a misleading leading position. The leader is the team that has most points and it doesn’t mean that you are the best team.
The best team is the team that has more points at the end of the Championship.
How long will Berardi be out.
Not yet - but it won’t be a short absence.
Does the Ipswich result mean the club is out of the 'bad moment'?
In order to talk about a positive or negative cycle we need more games. When you win four games in the first five game, you learn something. But when you win 2 games out of 8 it doesn’t mean the same. So I hope we will be able to build a lasting positive cycle with wins. A win is always a first step.
Fatherhood matters
- Marcelo says Jansson and Roofe will both be involved for #lufc this weekend
-
Før kampen borte mot Wigan:
Bielsa on Sky moving fixtures
"I'm always with the club or fans if it bothers them. But I can't tell you that we are not able to adapt."
Bielsa on teams failing to win in the league after Leeds
"There's only one possible conclusion is that we reduce the energy of our opponents. What we could ask for is to play one game after an another."
Bielsa on fan dressing up as him for Halloween
"What I can say is that people can make a character of my face. I could be proud of this. So I'm proud about it. I say to my Argentine friend that it's a praise."
Bielsa on Brown
"The fact that he will be able to come back soon inside the group is less important than knowing when he can play."
Bielsa on right-back concern
"I can't give you a positive or negative answer. What I can tell you is that Dallas and Shackleton played well there. From January we'll have the possibility to get back the four injuries."
Bielsa on Berardi
"A lot of time. It's not a simple injury. I don't know how to explain it, the level of the tendon went the other way, it's turned around. I will ask the head of medicine department to give you the information because I am just repeating what I have been told and maybe I'm not explaining enough."
Bielsa on Wigan
"For me the next opponent that I am playing against is always a tough one and I never underestimate them. I always think that the opponents are always strong enough to impose an important challenge to our skills. We always have the hope to win. We just drew at home and it makes it important to win an away game. On the other side when someone talks so much as I just did the best thing to avoid criticism against my ideas is to win the game so we have to win."
Bielsa now talking about English football
"When I arrived to England I had the dream and fantasy that everyone has about English football. Everyone admires the English leagues because they sanction cheating, speculation and injustice."
Big answer from Bielsa on opposition teams and football
Here's a snippet: "Football authorities they are working towards the justice for the referees. For example the video analysis. What they can't sanction yet is that teams intentional reduce the time of play. It's not because they are not trying to do it. The will of the fan is to see the teams playing but we have many resources that are allowed by the rules."
Bielsa on Championship finding his side out
"Usually the teams we are playing against, they don't behave with the goal of imposing their style on the opponent. The play was created so we can have a creative opposition. That's why it's a popular sport."
Bielsa on Saiz
"Samu Saiz is a great player. He's the player who can create the lack of balance that our team needs. He is the only player in the group who can create that. Taking into account what he did so far this season and what he did so far last year he's the player who can create the best lack of balance in the offensive sector. The most important pass that ended with the goal that was scored started with Saiz. Samu's last pass is the most aggressive one we have and after praising him like that you will ask me why he doesn't play. He's not playing because he's going through ups and downs and things like this happen. Sometimes we have to explain why Saiz isn't a starter and others when Forshaw is not a starter."
Bielsa on right-back issue
"He (Dallas) will play as a full-back. He has a very important contribution to the offensive play, he has a very good first pass, he is a dynamic player and adapts very well to the play."
Bielsa on team news
"Douglas will play. I don't make a comparison between players but I can tell you what his skills are. You are familiar with his skills, he has a very good left foot especially for the set-pieces and crosses. His inside pass is very good and associated play is also good, he combines well with his team-mates. He's an experienced player and usually he always has a level of performance which the minimum is always good."
Slight delay...
Marcelo Bielsa is still out on the training pitch so we're waiting to hear from him at around 3pm.
Good afternoon...
Welcome to Thorp Arch for today's pre-Wigan press conference. Marcelo Bielsa and Adam Forshaw will be speaking from 2:30pm...
Stay tuned for all the latest...
-
Før WBA borte:
That's all from Bielsa
The Leeds United boss is all done here - fairly short, but some fascinating stuff in there, particularity his thoughts on the commercialisation of the game.
Plenty to ruminate on there, so stay tuned to LeedsLive while we pick the bones out of it all.
12:20
Final question is on the international break
Bielsa says the club will be working on getting everyone fit, with a game taking place between the first-team squad and the under-23s.
12:18
Any other team news?
No.
12:18
Happy memories from the competition when you reached the final in 1992?
Yes, but it was a long time ago. And we have two possible points of view. For those who are from Newell’s Old Boys, it’s an unforgettable memory.
And from those who analyse my career say the last time I won was a long time ago.
12:17
Will you watch Boca Juniors vs River Plate? What is it like to be involved in a game like that?
It’s the dream game. Everyone dreams of this kind of game.
Because you have the aspiration of winning this game. In this kind of game you emotions that you want to leave.
12:15
Is that enough?
Yes. It’s only my opinion. The club can have a different opinion and I will take that into account.
12:15
How much thought have given to the transfer window?
It will be very hard to add new players. But we will have four more players coming in January, Bamford, Brown, Berardi and Ayling.
12:14
How important will your defensive side be this weekend?
I think the challenge, the exam we’re going to pass this coming Saturday in the defensive segment, this exam we’re going to pass will strengthen our conclusions.
But it’s also very important for us to keep our offensive identity even if we have to take into account the offensive capacity of the opponent.
There is an old sentence which says the best way to defend is to attack. If we want to refresh this sentence and if we want to give importance to the value of possession in order to attack you need to have the ball. SO we will try to have the ball and in order to strengthen this concept it’s important to prevent the opponent from counter attacking. Because possession is important only if you prevent the opponent from counter attacking.
12:11
Are West Brom one of the most dangerous sides in terms of goalscoring?
I think the best offensive players of the Championship play in West Bromwich.
They might not have the best player in each position. But if we take, as a whole, No. 15,10,19 and 16, they are the best offensive players.
If we take them as a whole you won’t find another team with players as good as them.
12:10
You can use technology in the dugout this season - what does Marcelo use?
I don’t use any technology.
Nor my coaches. We rely on our memory.
But after 60 years, you lose your memory!
That’s why it’s harder and harder for me every day.
12:09
How much responsibility do you feel you have to provide entertaining football?
When a team doesn’t get what it deserves sooner or later the fans banish the lack of results.
The lack of tolerance regarding the lack of results is stronger than the lack of tolerance when the style is not beautiful.
The fans that tolerate are more willing to expect to wait for the beauty of the game when they have results.
I think that the commercialisation of football when the clubs are owned by private people the result is more important than anything.
But the most attractive thing in football is the beauty of the game. Those who invest in football should be aware or take precautions to keep the level of the business they bought.
Because when a team plays bad you’ll have less fans willing to watch the game but you have head coaches like Guardiola that can unite both things- beauty and results.
He plays well and wins and he increases the value of the club where he works and the players he has.
But I think it’s the responsibility of all to discuss the importance of the result above the beauty of the game.
I don’t know if the anaology’s good, I’m sure it’s not. It’s disproportionate analogy I’m going to make.
The fact that we are not taking care of the planet, our children will pay the consequence of the acts. And with football it will be the same. Because we are destroinyh football and in the future we will see the negative effects of this.
And those who have power are responsible for it. The head coaches have power, the owners of the club have power, the media have power and the fans have power but they don’t use it.
12:03
Were you impressed?
No.
Because of the defeat?
When we have to comment on defeats, if I can avoid commenting I would prefer not to.
12:02
You went to see the U23s this week - did anyone impress you?
I usually do this routine of observing the players of my group and also it concerns the best youngest players. I didn’t got to see any player in particualr, I went to see the whole group.
12:00
Here's the boss...
Here he is.
-
Før WBA borte:
That's all from Bielsa
The Leeds United boss is all done here - fairly short, but some fascinating stuff in there, particularity his thoughts on the commercialisation of the game.
Plenty to ruminate on there, so stay tuned to LeedsLive while we pick the bones out of it all.
12:20
Final question is on the international break
Bielsa says the club will be working on getting everyone fit, with a game taking place between the first-team squad and the under-23s.
12:18
Any other team news?
No.
12:18
Happy memories from the competition when you reached the final in 1992?
Yes, but it was a long time ago. And we have two possible points of view. For those who are from Newell’s Old Boys, it’s an unforgettable memory.
And from those who analyse my career say the last time I won was a long time ago.
12:17
Will you watch Boca Juniors vs River Plate? What is it like to be involved in a game like that?
It’s the dream game. Everyone dreams of this kind of game.
Because you have the aspiration of winning this game. In this kind of game you emotions that you want to leave.
12:15
Is that enough?
Yes. It’s only my opinion. The club can have a different opinion and I will take that into account.
12:15
How much thought have given to the transfer window?
It will be very hard to add new players. But we will have four more players coming in January, Bamford, Brown, Berardi and Ayling.
12:14
How important will your defensive side be this weekend?
I think the challenge, the exam we’re going to pass this coming Saturday in the defensive segment, this exam we’re going to pass will strengthen our conclusions.
But it’s also very important for us to keep our offensive identity even if we have to take into account the offensive capacity of the opponent.
There is an old sentence which says the best way to defend is to attack. If we want to refresh this sentence and if we want to give importance to the value of possession in order to attack you need to have the ball. SO we will try to have the ball and in order to strengthen this concept it’s important to prevent the opponent from counter attacking. Because possession is important only if you prevent the opponent from counter attacking.
12:11
Are West Brom one of the most dangerous sides in terms of goalscoring?
I think the best offensive players of the Championship play in West Bromwich.
They might not have the best player in each position. But if we take, as a whole, No. 15,10,19 and 16, they are the best offensive players.
If we take them as a whole you won’t find another team with players as good as them.
12:10
You can use technology in the dugout this season - what does Marcelo use?
I don’t use any technology.
Nor my coaches. We rely on our memory.
But after 60 years, you lose your memory!
That’s why it’s harder and harder for me every day.
12:09
How much responsibility do you feel you have to provide entertaining football?
When a team doesn’t get what it deserves sooner or later the fans banish the lack of results.
The lack of tolerance regarding the lack of results is stronger than the lack of tolerance when the style is not beautiful.
The fans that tolerate are more willing to expect to wait for the beauty of the game when they have results.
I think that the commercialisation of football when the clubs are owned by private people the result is more important than anything.
But the most attractive thing in football is the beauty of the game. Those who invest in football should be aware or take precautions to keep the level of the business they bought.
Because when a team plays bad you’ll have less fans willing to watch the game but you have head coaches like Guardiola that can unite both things- beauty and results.
He plays well and wins and he increases the value of the club where he works and the players he has.
But I think it’s the responsibility of all to discuss the importance of the result above the beauty of the game.
I don’t know if the anaology’s good, I’m sure it’s not. It’s disproportionate analogy I’m going to make.
The fact that we are not taking care of the planet, our children will pay the consequence of the acts. And with football it will be the same. Because we are destroinyh football and in the future we will see the negative effects of this.
And those who have power are responsible for it. The head coaches have power, the owners of the club have power, the media have power and the fans have power but they don’t use it.
12:03
Were you impressed?
No.
Because of the defeat?
When we have to comment on defeats, if I can avoid commenting I would prefer not to.
12:02
You went to see the U23s this week - did anyone impress you?
I usually do this routine of observing the players of my group and also it concerns the best youngest players. I didn’t got to see any player in particualr, I went to see the whole group.
12:00
Here's the boss...
Here he is.
BOLD 1.
Hinter Bielsa noe om at vi kanskje får transfer inn i Januar?
Kanskje enkelte i klubben ikke synes det er nok med spillerne som kommer tilbake.
og..
BOLD 2.
Snakker han til Radz om at han må sørge for å få nye underskrifter fra Roofe (og andre nøkkelspillere som nærmer seg utgangen av kontrakten eller bør få ny kontrakt pga. prestasjoner)?
-
Før Bristol City hjemme:
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/marcelo-bielsa-full-transcript-dropping-15450592
After the West Brom defeat, has it felt like a long two weeks? What lessons can you take from that game?
Obviously the defeat against West Bromwich was an injury that we had to heal.
We went through this process and you end the process when you have the next game coming up.
At the beginning the next game was not close, was not near and then when the next game is coming you have the hope of playing the next game soon, you forget a little bit the defeat against West Brom.
But of course we had to draw the conclusions regarding the mistakes we made in the last game.
What did you say to the players and will you look to make changes this weekend?
We talked about the impact that the mistake we made had on the final result that allowed the opponent to score four goals.
Is the break a good way for players to recharge their batteries, given your style of play?
Now until the the end of December we are facing a series of nine games. We play every three or four days, that’s why the players had four days off. It was a necessary pause that they needed.
Obviously I’m talking about the players that are not international ones.
Did Marcelo enjoy the break himself? Enjoy the time to take a step back?
No, I never enjoy the time after losing a game.
The Jamal Blackman injury - how important a blow is that, given you've not got a senior professional putting the pressure on Bailey? And is signing a new keeper a priority in January?
Blackman was going to be the starter in this coming game.
I’m very sad for him because of what happened to him. Because he’s a great human being, a great person, a great goalkeeper. He did a huge effort to do what we asked him to do.
To give you an example, he lost 12 kilos. This indicates his level of application as a professional. And he was a great team-mate for the other players and for us as staff.
When he won the opportunity to start a game, he got injured. Of course I’m sad for the team, for the club, but I’m especially sad for him because the destiny is unfair for him.
How close is Izzy Brown to the first team? Are you happy with your striking options once he's back or will you be looking in January?
Izzy Brown hasn’t played in the last year.
So now he’s well. He has to be well to start now, to train as a footballer. But now I don’t know how long it will take for him to find his level again. Depends on his capacity to adapt.
And it depends on his capacity to be a member of the team but we can’t ignore the fact that a player who hasn't played a game in the last year, we can’t expect him to resolve his lack of activity in a short time.
Marcelo Bielsa on why he remains convinced Leeds United don't need defensive reinforcements in January
How do you feel in the club and in the city?
I’m very happy to be in this club.
I’m happy with the players I have. I’m very happy with the human quality and the football quality of my players. I’m satisfied to with the project we are building. We share the same goals with the club.
To give you an example, taking care of the infrastructures of the club is something very important to me and very important to the club.
I’m a worker of the club and I receive a lot of collaboration from the other workers of the club and this is very important for the work I am doing.
Regarding the city, the contact I have with the assistants during the game, every time we play at Elland Road we receive massive support from the fans and it’s very generous from them.
Leeds is a beautiful city, but I don’t have a lot of time to enjoy it. And for me the most important thing of a city is the people who live in a city and the fans, the support I receive from the fans tells everything.
Is Pontus Jansson fit and available for the weekend?
I think he won’t be available for this weekend.
Do you think he might be out for a little while?
Until yesterday we thought he would be available but now the game is getting closer I don’t have the same optimism.
He didn’t train with the group, so it's not probable that he will play.
You have a lot of injuries at the back - what are your options in defence?
[Kalvin] Phillips can play as a centre-back or Aapo Halme is another possibility. He’s ready.
It will also be difficult for him Peacock-Farrell to play because yesterday at the end of the training session he had a problem with his knee and probably won’t be able to play.
Probably Kamil [Miazek] will play. I can’t tell you about the possibility of bringing someone in.
To complete an answer from the gentleman who asked the question at the beginning, I don’t have any news about the possibility to bring someone in in general.
Or maybe before if Bailey is out for a while?
Or maybe before.
You are stretched. What sort of game are you expecting from Bristol City? Will they frustrate you?
In the Championship it’s hard to imagine that you will have any easy game.
Because the teams that are at the top of the table don’t have the same performance. The teams in the middle of the table are getting closer to the top table or the end of the table. And the teams at the bottom of the table always make surprising results.
So you can’t imagine you will have any easy games.
What are your thoughts on the Copa Libertadores final second leg? What is it like for everyone in Argentina and who do you think will win?
You can’t make any prediction on that.
What does it mean to Argentinians?
We make so many comments about the game that I'm not able to make any new comments on it.
For the Argentinian people, football is a special passion. And the most popular teams in Argentina are Boca and River. They are the wealthiest clubs and the fact that they reached the continental final is something very special for our country.
All the Argentinians are interested in this game.
Does the fact you were going to play Jamal Blackman suggest you have lost confidence in Bailey Peacock-Farrell?
I thought a lot about it.
I could have avoided telling you that I took the decision to play Blackman.
But I wanted to tell you, to make it public for two reasons.
Because even if it doesn’t have any value it’s good that people know Jamal Blackman reached the goal he had when he came to Leeds.
And regarding the impact of this information on Farrell’s mind I also could have avoided telling Bailey that he lost his position as a starter. But when you leave a position that you have, when you go from a starting position to a substitute one it can have a positive aspect.
And I didn’t want that Bailey doesn’t find out that he has lost his position. It’s not very serious when you lose your position as a starter because it’s football. You have good moments and bad moments and it’s the same for every one of us but it’s important that when someone loses a right, that he finds out why this happens and makes the correction he needs to make.
If I had hidden the situation I wouldn’t have given to Farrell the opportunity to find out the consequences of his performance.
What is the risk that I took into account to express the fact that Blackman deserved and won his position as a starter?
I think it was very important for Farrell to find out he had lost his position because if you are not aware of your performance you cannot make any corrections.
First I wanted to underline the fact Jamal Blackman had won his position as a starter and that he won his position as a starter but unfortunately could not play for the reason we all know.
And then I wanted clearly Farrell to know what were my conclusions.
Destiny allowed Farrell to gain back his position immediately, but it’s another subject.
When I tell the whole truth about a subject, many times I don’t tell the whole truth. I try not to lie. When I said the whole truth it’s because I think it will have a positive effect.
And in this case I analysed the impact of telling the whole truth and not telling the whole truth.
For him and his future it’s important for him to know he had lost his position as a starter.
As you know he played 17 games as a starter and he’s going to play again. This shows the trust I had on Farrell who is only 22 years old and during 17 games he had to undergo through the competition with the best young English goalkeeper.
I say that Blackman is the best English young goalkeeper, not because I made this conclusion myself, I’m just repeating the opinion of specialists on the subject. The fact that Farrell was a starter during 17 games having Blackman as a second goalkeeper shows I trust him, and the opponents I gave to him. You can’t become a great goalkeeper if you don’t lose your position as a starter and win it back.
In this case he got it back without doing anything to get it back, destiny game it back to him but I wanted him to know the level of his peformance. Thanks to that he will become a better goalkeeper, if he feels the answers we all expect from him.
Was the decision based purely on the West Brom game or over a few weeks?
You never change a goalkeeper just because of one game.
Are you worried your defensive injuries are going to have a negative effect on the team and results?
I never think that we can’t win the next games. But I can’t say either that it’s the same thing if we don’t have Berardi, Jansson, Ayling, Blackman and Farrell.
Because if I say that, you’ll say it doesn’t make sense.
But I don’t think that because I lost five players we don’t have the duty to win the next game. I think the opposite.
I think that the bigger the adversity, the stronger you have to be.
Do you need to sign defenders in January?
No. We will have Jansson, Berardi and Ayling back and that will be enough.
When you’re affected by a situation, I always have a look at the responsibility I have in it.
Because everyone gives his point of view. I listen to everyone’s point of view, but it’s one thing to tell what you think and another thing is to take a decision. My role is to take decisions.
People around the team give their opinions with the best intentions.
It’s a different thing to make an opinion on good intentions than to make a decision.
The person making the decision gathers more opinions, more information than the one just giving his opinion.
So when there’s one specific moment of the season, in one specific sector of the team, it’s not common to have these five players missing, Berardi, Blackman, Farrell, Ayling and Jansson.
These are injuries based on kicks they received, not on muscular ones. These are injuries caused by traumatic situations, they are not muscular injuries so it’s not because of what you’re doing in the training session, it’s just a lack of luck.
We will be working with many youngsters and for me adversity is never an excuse.
That’s why, I’m telling you frankly, we have no reason not to win every game.
What are you goals for the season and do you think you will reach them?
I think I will reach them because I am optimistic.
And you have to be optimistic if you are in professional sport. And because I make plans and I work hard.
That’s why if I don’t reach the goals I have no excuse for that.
I never tell what I hope to happen when we are at each stage of the competition.
Our goals are marked by what we do every game.
How close between Kamil Miazek and Will Huffer in terms of who may start in goal?
I haven’t taken any decisions yet.
What have you made of Aapo Halme? He's had a lot of injuries, but is he ready for Championship football?
He’s a possibility.
He is now well and he has played and I see him with a good level but you draw conclusions only on the games.
-
Mellom linjene leser jeg at han elsker laget og byen Leeds !
....og i tillegg er han venn`med oss fans!
-
Mellom linjene leser jeg at han elsker laget og byen Leeds !
....og i tillegg er han venn`med oss fans!
Syns ikke det høres ut som en mann som stikker til sommeren hvis opprykket uteblir.
-
Før Reading, hjemme:
That's a wrap from Marcelo
Praise also for Kemar Roofe - "where would be without him and his goals" was the line when asked about how pleased he has been with his contribution.
On Blackman's tribute with the players holding his shirt
Immediately I saw the human quality of this group, I can't draw any conclusion to any media. I can't talk about English football in general, I can talk about what happens here in Leeds. I can say that not only is Blackman a great professional but also a great person and it's not frequent that the groups underline the quality of someone and the player. Usually you get the reward when the human aspect is important in a group so Jamal Blackman is a great person and Leeds United is a team where the human quality of the team is importance. I am just finding out the players showed Blackman the shirt. I just saw the green shirt. Let me tell me what I thought at the moment, at the beginning I thought it was a way linked to the ground staff of the stadium because they always were green, I didn't know it was Blackman's shirt but I am pleased they did this.
Has Saiz's reaction been a good one?
Yes and I'm honest when I say yes but if it was not the case I would not say it publicly but in this case he has
On Saiz's game at the moment?
I think Saiz is the most skilled player of our team and he has skills that few players have. I am not talking about only our team but football in general and then you have a trend which is linked to the performance and it is also linked to the performance of the team mates. We always think that being a sub is not a good thing for the players. It's a mistake to think like that. Because reality tells us and Samu is very useful to our team. Either he plays 20 minutes, half an hour or the whole game. I have the obligation to take into account the whole team. And of course it's hard for each player not to think about their own interests so you have to find the right balance in all this and draw the right conclusions.
How is Liam Cooper?
He is fine
Is the league starting to take shape?
I don't think so. I already knew that it was going to be a difficult competition but I was not expecting that as many teams would be able to fight for the first ranks. And I also thought that for some teams it would be easier to show that they have a good level.
On progress overall?
I have been asked this question many times during different moments of the season. I am never sure that the good moments will last. And I am not sure that we won't be able to overcome difficult moments. How many times are we going to play well and when we have our downs and if we think we will always play well it means we are ignoring the reality that all the teams go through. Until today all the leading teams have had ups and downs. The most important thing is how we arrive at the crucial moment and at which condition we are in when the decisions on the competition are made. When we play the last games of the Championship, when you play the last 15 per cent of the games, when the position that you have in the table before the last 15 per cent of the games allows you to make the definitive goals.
Where would you like to see improvement?
To attack we need a lot of dynamism. To attack we need to make the opponent make mistakes. When we attack well we defend well. It's not very frequent that we attack well and defend bad. I couldn't say it' a sector of the field or a moment on the pitch in the game, it's more about the play. The idea is to defend well, to attack better and then to attack well and to defend away from our box. So the secret in this is how we use the ball. When we lose the ball because of a lack of an idea we don't play well.
Reflections on the Bristol City game
"Regarding the opinions that don't from my analysis I prefer to be cautious before evaluating them or making any comment on them. Because maybe the person making this kind of opinion has an argument that I don't have. I am aware of the importance of playing with 11 men versus ten for half an hour, I don't think this is linked to any luck. What I can tell is that the opponent didn't have any chances to score and we had in ourselves six or seven chances to score and we scored two goals. We dominated the game apart from three precise moments - maybe the player was sent off during one of the three moments when the opponent played better which was the beginning of the second half. And then during minute 25 to 35 we had a down. And also the moment when Liam Cooper was out of the team we lacked stability but all these things, the only result of this was the opponent playing better but they only got throw ins to the box and corners. Even if we were not excellent in these moments we defended pretty well at set pieces.
Team news from Marcelo...
"Jansson won't be available and Bailey can be a starter tomorrow."
On Jansson: "At the beginning he was supposed to be available for last Saturday and then tomorrow but it was not the case and that's why I would like to be cautious before saying he can play next Saturday."
1.01pm: Right - here we go
12.45pm: In position at Thorp Arch
-
13:28BEREN CROSS
All over
That’s it for now.
13:28BEREN CROSS
Peacock-Farrell reaction
I wouldn’t think my comments on him, about his level. Usually, as a head coach, we are more responsible when the players have a negative cycle than when they have a positive one.
Usually, the positive cycles are more linked to what the player does. This link with the ups and downs, it has to do with leadership. You see, in the theme parks, these rides which go up and down, you have images that represent very well the feeling of going down. In these games, when you are going down you are catching speed to go up again. This reflects what I think about ups and downs.
There is no vital reality without ups and downs. When you are down you have people who can’t go up and you also have other people who like these games in the attraction parks. When you go down it helps you to go up.
13:25
Latest on the goalkeeping situation - any plans to replace Blackman before January?
I can’t answer to this question today because I haven’t thought about it yet.
We still have a month of competition to play. And usually we think about this kind of thing when we get close to the date.
13:24BEREN CROSS
Bielsa continued on new styles
What I try to do is make the public learn about the new styles of football. When I talk about Pablo my goal is to make the fans value these aspects we usually don’t value. When I’m talking about these features of the opponent I have the same goal.
I saw things in the next opponent I wanted to raise for the fans.
13:21BEREN CROSS
What are those new ideas?
Draw your own conclusions or ask me the same question after the game.
13:21BEREN CROSS
Expect Blades to be more open and attacking than others?
As I’m not very familiar with English football I take many precautions before making an opinion. If I was in a bar having a coffee with friends I would say Sheffield United’s head coach is someone with new ideas and I have seen very few people with these ideas.
Head coaches, we normally look at colleagues to learn from them. and we want to learn new things others aren’t doing because usually when you observe someone, you observe the new things.
The ideas of our next opponent deserve to be studied. I don’t know the history of Sheffield United’s head coach, but what I’m saying can be right.
13:18BEREN CROSS
Clarke ready to start?
You evaluate the players according to the number of obstacles they overcome. If you look at the first part of the second half, Clarke did not have the same level in the second part of the second half. You always ask questions about him. What we can say is he is not impressed by high competition. He has many things to learn yet and he has to look at Hernandez as an example. Hernandez has many details Clarke can learn only by looking at him. What Pablo does, you can’t teach in the game.
Sometimes Pablo goes to a zone on the pitch and because he goes to that zone, he receives the ball and he puts the ball in another zone where the defensive density is lower. Who will remember this action? The fans remember the important things, not those that lead to make important things.
13:15BEREN CROSS
Phillips influence on everything?
He is a very settled player and that’s important in modern football. If you look at his game last year he played as an offensive midfielder and then as an eight, then as a four, and now he plays as a centre-back. If I had to do the same process, but backwards, to go from defence to attack, he could play in these different positions with good results.
This tells a lot about him because players usually lose their versatility when they go back. Dallas looks more like a full-back than a winger now, just to give an example.
13:13BEREN CROSS
Phillips most improved under Bielsa?
I’m too much in love with my players so that’s why my opinion is not objective. Before sleeping, when I imagine us playing against Liverpool I always imagine us beating Liverpool.
That’s why the opinion I have of the players is subjective.
13:12BEREN CROSS
Phillips - how difficult for him in defence?
Usually the defensive midfielder is the third centre-back in the team. When a defensive midfielder plays as a centre-back he does actions he is used to.
One thing is to take a decision when you know you have three team-mates behind you and another thing to take a decision knowing you only have one player behind you.
You see sometimes the defensive midfielders recover the ball without being sure they can do so. The centre-back doesn’t take these risks.
13:10BEREN CROSS
Alioski dive - how do you stop diving?
You have questions that include the answer. I never accept cheating. Sometimes people think cheating is a smart thing to do. Even if I don’t condemn it, from a personal point of view, I wouldn’t want someone cheating. There is a difference between not rewarding and not condemning. The role of the referee is very difficult. It’s indispensable and very difficult. It’s convenient to help him. Trying to cheat is not helping the referee. We have to be comprehensive to understand him when he makes mistakes and we don’t have to provoke him and lead him to mistakes.
I don’t like to criticise the footballers who cheat because in the formation process there is no personal and intimate sanction of the cheating. I don’t imagine myself at 12 challenging a team-mate because he got a penalty by cheating. When you cheat during a football game you can’t compare it with the morality in the life of human beings and, usually, that’s what we do. I talk too much.
My conclusion: I don’t want to criticise Alioski because I like him a lot.
13:06BEREN CROSS
Weekend - closest, fierce derby - can you compare them to Rosario v Newell's?
I haven’t experienced a game against Sheffield United so I could not make any comparison. I can say the derby in Rosario is something very special and you can’t compare it to anything.
13:04BEREN CROSS
Ability to play at top level?
The only thing which makes me doubt my conclusions is the fact he isn’t playing at the top level. That makes me think maybe my conclusions about him are wrong. When we talk about the highest level we could say Leeds is also a team at the highest level. It’s always convenient to take care of these small details.
13:03BEREN CROSS
Surprised - he does seem calmer
I can talk about his skills. I have seen very few players with this consistency with his weight and height.
I haven’t seen many players that tall and heavy who can have the same response as a full-back. If you are interested in checking what I am saying, in the game against West Bromwich there is a dual with the number 15, he challenges him, it’s where he got injured, that shows what I am talking about.
13:02BEREN CROSS
Why is he so consistent under Bielsa?
I saw all the games he played last year, but I don’t see the difference you are talking about. Anyway, I didn’t do anything special. If I said the contrary I would be lying.
13:01BEREN CROSS
Ready to play
We think he will be available and ready to play. I take precautions, but we think he will be available. I always take precautions with players who haven’t played in 20 days.
13:00BEREN CROSS
Jansson
We think he will be available.
12:58BEREN CROSS
In place at Thorp Arch
My first time back in the hotseat for a month. Very much looking forward to seeing what the head coach has to say today. Arrival imminent.
-
Fantastisk av Bielsa og rette på oversetteren i dag etter Sheff.U borte!
Oversetteren sa: Vi vant takket være keeperens feil!
Ble raskt avbrutt av Bielsa!
Rettet til: Vi vant takket være en feil av motstanderen!
KLASSE! ;D
-
Fantastisk av Bielsa og rette på oversetteren i dag etter Sheff.U borte!
Pure class ja. Ikke bare keeperens feil. Håpløst tilbakespill som setter keeper i en vanskelig situasjon. Han skulle selvsagt ha beina ballen utover sidelinja. Bra for oss at han gikk for alternativ 2.
Oversetteren sa: Vi vant takket være keeperens feil!
Ble raskt avbrutt av Bielsa!
Rettet til: Vi vant takket være en feil av motstanderen!
KLASSE! ;D
-
Før QPR hjemme:
Follow every question and answer below.
14:00BEREN CROSS
That's it from Bielsa
Look out for the full transcript later.
13:57BEREN CROSS
Captain on Saturday?
I never designate the captain. I never choose the captain. For me, the captain represents his team-mates. The natural thing to do is the captain has to be chosen by his team-mates.
Captain usually has been in the club for many years, but for me, the players have to choose their captain.
13:56BEREN CROSS
Halme
He has done balanced games. He is duty player. He does what the team needs from him. He took his responsibilities when he had to play instead of Cooper. It was a tough game and he gave a good performance.
13:50BEREN CROSS
Goalkeeper?
Actually, in football, what is possible doesn’t always become a reality. Before giving any information I prefer to be sure about what I am saying. I can’t be sure about buying a goalkeeper, even if we take into account losing a great ‘keeper like Blackman.
13:48BEREN CROSS
Coyle situation
We will make the analysis according to what Victor Orta proposes. AS a matter f fact, the only player we lost for the season is Jamal Blackman.
And the players we have, I’m very happy with and the players Victor Orta brought to the club. The contribution of the players from the academy is very important.
I don’t see the need to bring any other player in now. If it’s a player better than the one we have I would agree with the fact he comes, but I know how expensive that could be.
13:45BEREN CROSS
Easier to trust players if they work with you a long time?
When you assimilate the style of play the only difference, regarding the style of play, is when you buy a great player. The great player can go into any team without any difficulty. These kinds of players are not very common and very expensive and the clubs don’t want to sell these kinds of players. When you buy these players you are shown to be doing something during the transfer window. When you have an injury, you buy a player, but actually the goal is to buy a player who can improve the level of the team.
13:43BEREN CROSS
Managers go to transfers with injuries - you take a different approach - why?
Ayling will be back this month. Berardi and Cooper it will be at the end of January or beginning of February. Dallas and Pearce will be back in the following weeks. Bamford and Brown are available now(!). When a new player comes he doesn’t have the same advantage as the ones who are present. He has to adapt to the team, the style of work, the city, the club.
For the second part of the season, when you buy a player it has an impact on the club finances because the big players are not easily available. Apart from the situation where the team needs someone, the possibility of having a player is clear, we won’t buy anyone.
I prefer instead of buying to improve the quality of the work because the team usually reflects the quality of the players’ individualities, but it’s also linked to the training they receive and you also can improve a team when you improve the equipment.
13:38BEREN CROSS
Coach for a long time - this many injuries ever before?
Yes, in some moments. The particularity of these kind of injuries, a high level of them are due to traumatic issues, not muscular issues. Either it’s the bone or the articulation. With these there is not much you can do.
Today we can manage and control the level of work, the intensity of the work. With that you can decrease the level of injuries, this is regarding the muscular injuries. The bone injuries, there is nothing you can do.
13:36BEREN CROSS
Greatest pleasure seeing youths come in?
I am happy for them. I am happy for the academy as it is an important part of the club. We are too much demanding with the youngsters. The preparation of a youngster is more flexible than the prep of an experienced player.
The fact we very demanding with them and this allows them to be part of the first team is a very positive situation. The experienced players have a knowledge when it is about choosing, among the youths, the one they want to have in the first team.
For me, the support the youths get from the experienced players is very positive. They have, the youths, need to have the approval of the experienced players to fit well in the first team.
13:34BEREN CROSS
How much of a test is it?
Honestly, I think Ayling couldn’t play, Dallas played, now Dallas can’t and Shackleton will play.
This is thanks to the work the academy did for the first team. We solved the absences in one way or another. Of course we are aware of the kind of player we are losing.
The solutions we are finding, they are allowing us to stay optimistic. The youngsters among the first team, from 18 to 23, the youngsters contribute a lot o the resolution of our needs.
13:31BEREN CROSS
Injuries first - feel cursed?
I am sure I have done something wrong because it is punishing me.
13:30BEREN CROSS
Bielsa's here
First question coming up...
13:18BEREN CROSS
What to expect from Bielsa
Well, we will definitely here of his plans for replacing Dallas and Cooper, but we’ll be sure to ask him about the latest on the January transfer window and those reports Freddie Woodman was approached at Newcastle United recently.
-
Før Bolton borte:
Follow every question and answer from the head coach below.
13:25BEREN CROSS
All over
That’s it from Bielsa.
13:25BEREN CROSS
Brown ready?
I don’t think he’s ready for the bench. Every time he plays he makes positive steps to being inside the group. He has a great weight, he is well, he is fit. He absorbs the volume of a game without any problems. He needs to work on his intensity and strength, but that’s normal because of how little he’s played.
The sudden movements he can make, when he sprints, when he stops, the switch of direction, the short sprints, these are the elements that are needed for a player with a technique like Izzy Brown. You need to have a certain level of performance to impose your technical skills. He’s working on these small details.
13:22BEREN CROSS
Bamford analysis after hat-trick
He scored three goals. For a number nine it’s a very important thing. He is well and he is available for the team. Of course, to reach his previous level he needs more activity and more games, but he’s available to start or play as a substitute.
13:18BEREN CROSS
Norwich - opinion
When we won versus Norwich they had more chances to score than us and we won that game. The only difference is we scored goals when we had chances and they didn’t finish their chances. When you see the result you see a huge difference, but when you take a look at both performances you see there is not much difference because when you miss a goal it means you are not efficient, it doesn’t mean you are bad. When you score and the goal is not because you deserved it. Neither thing lasts forever. Norwich has a creative profile. They won two games in the last minutes. You can evaluate this as saying it’s a positive thing. We could say the same thing about us because Bailey stopped a penalty that gave us two points. We could say the same we were lucky because Sheffield United made a mistake with Hernandez and Clarke combining. Just these two games we have four points more, but we deserve these points because of the way we played. You have two positions, we could say we deserved to win these games because we played well and others where we didn’t.
13:13BEREN CROSS
How good is the current run?
The only thing I can do is be happy about it. If you take the teams and see how you link the different results you’ll see you’ll have ups and downs for each team. When you win the previous game you take the next game in better conditions, but you don’t have any guarantee. Sometimes, when you have a positive cycle, your self esteem is strong and sometimes you become more relaxed. When you are mroe relaxed you are weaker. In football, for any situation, you have one rule and the opposite rule. An answer for everything. In football you can have an answer for every point of view.
13:11BEREN CROSS
Aware of Christmas football tradition before arriving?
Yes, of course. Everyone knows about this tradition. Others see it as a favour because they can still watch football over Christmas. On traditions: you need to know about history and have experience. I talk about history and I don’t have the experience of it.
13:10BEREN CROSS
Winter break in Europe - unusual for you here?
It’s something new for me because it’s the first time I’ve worked in England and as you say the other leagues don’t actually have a break. My only goal is to adapt to the situation. I don’t have any opinion on it because that’s not my job. I can’t make any comment on it because I have no experience of games on Boxing Day while others do.
13:09BEREN CROSS
Key phase in the season now?
We have the same problems as every other team. Usually you don’t play every three days in a period of two-and-a-half weeks, but we adapt to what happens and take one game after the other. It’s not convenient to draw any conclusions beforehand. Actually, it’s about the same. The fatigue is to see if it generates any injuries. We also have to see if the succession of games affects the performance of the players. We have to link these parameters with the results we get. Then we will take decisions.
13:07BEREN CROSS
Preferred goalkeeper choice?
It’s not a task I realise because I’m not a specialist. I usually don’t rely on hypothesis. Until now I have no news on the possibility of a goalkeeper. Of course, if I had any news on that I would comment immediately.
13:05BEREN CROSS
Goalkeepers
No news about it. The information I could give you regarding transfers is I see the importance the media give to this subject and if I had any news I would tell you about it.
13:04BEREN CROSS
Changes for Bolton?
I haven’t decided the starting XI yet.
13:04BEREN CROSS
Intense period - rotation?
We have to see how the players assimilate the load of the different games in this short time (Bamford and Brown). Process coming back can’t be the same for both because they were out for far different time periods.
Pulis told me December was crucial in the Championship. We are trying to find good solutions for this period.
BEREN CROSS
Welcome
Good afternoon from Thorp Arch. We’ll be hearing from Marcelo Bielsa at around 1pm and we will have full, live updates for you right here. You won’t miss a beat.
-
Før Aston Villa borte:
Stay tuned and follow every question and answer from Bielsa below.
13:27BEREN CROSS
All over
That’s it from Bielsa.
13:27BEREN CROSS
Cult figure - kids' costumes, horse names - does he know?
What do you want me to tell you?
[Is he aware of his status?]
Affection is the maximum aspiration for a human being, when you receive affection it’s something you are very thankful for. We have to be very careful when we see the reasons for this affection.
In this case I don’t deserve the recognition I am getting. If I give you this answer I feel ill at ease and if I don’t answer to you you wouldn’t accept it. I have the obligation to tell you.
13:25BEREN CROSS
Bielsa Rhapsody
I am thankful. It’s very important, for me, the feeling for the club. They give me an importance honestly I don’t deserve.
13:24BEREN CROSS
Ayling back
May start this weekend.
13:22BEREN CROSS
Brown update
He has a problem that will take three or four weeks to solve. I’m disappointed and sad this happened. It’s very common, frequent players who didn’t play for a long time have more problems. I see he is strong mentally with a lot of enthusiasm.
13:21BEREN CROSS
Saiz opinion
I gave my opinion by the time I gave him as a player. He played 80 per cent of the competition. He left the club being a starter. He missed, I don’t remember, four or five games, and when he left our midfield was Forshaw, Klich and Saiz. I have to be very careful. He was a player that had a lot of value for me.
I can’t say it doesn’t matter he left because you would tell me ‘why, then he played 80 per cent of the games.’ This is my first point. Second point is I didn’t ask Samu Saiz to leave. I never talked about him, regarding his desire to leave the club. In the club there are people I trust very much who evaluated the situation. They took the decision they thought was the right one. I don’t agree and I don’t disagree with the decision taken.
What I can’t tell is I asked Saiz to leave, I made it easier and it doesn’t matter because we have a group of 18 players and he was one of the 18 players. When you put limitations to the number of players you can’t say it doesn’t matter if one of them goes. Of course, we are in conversations to find a solution he has left. We assume we can’t rely on him anymore and we must find a solution. As I want to be ????? - it matters to me what people think of my job. I can’t say I made it easier for Saiz to leave and I can’t say it doesn’t matter he left and I have never talked to Samu about his departure.
Let’s remember he left the team being a starter in the team. I don’t have to underline this, but if you start or are in the 18 it’s the same thing because if you take the stats you have four or five always missing.
At the same time, honestly, I trust absolutely the persons who take these decisions in the club I don’t take. These arguments I’m giving you, those who ntake these decisions, took them into account, but taking into account arguments doesn’t mean you impose the arguments.
For me, it’s easier not to deal with this situation because it’s difficult to solve. What I can’t tell is I made it easier or I don’t care if he left or not. I say that because we have a responsibility to the people who make opinions on our decisions. I can’t say he left and I don’t care. I talked a lot about this, but I only said three things. I didn’t make it easier for Samu Saiz to leave, a head coach can’t say he doesn’t care when this player played 80 per cent of the games and he was a starter and one of the 18 players, and it was difficult situation to solve. I have absolute trust in those who made the decision. I am sure they know my arguments and with optimism we think we can find a solution to his absence.
There is no excuse to look forward to the future with the same optimism as before. I spent 10 minutes telling you this, but I didn’t say these last five things.
13:10BEREN CROSS
Expected greater challenge in imposing style?
This experience is similar to the previous ones I had as a head coach. You know we have a sentence that says you have to play according to the qualities of the players you have. I have never had to be the head coach of a group that prevented me from developing my ideas. That’s why I have some doubts regarding this concept. Players are a condition for the style. The role of the head coach is to convince and you can’t convince if you don’t believe in what you are saying. That’s why it’s very hard for a head coach to change his manner of conceiving the game, it’s more credible to think you can develop your ideas regardless of the features of the players. Let me moderate my comment. You don’t have players, probably, that prevent a head coach from developing his ideas. Maybe the weakest teams of a Championship, don’t have the quality of the other teams, but if we take the average, we can draw this kind of opinion.
13:07BEREN CROSS
Halfway point - reflections
The players have, almost all of them, have Championship experience. The process of adaptation is only for the youngsters because the new players like Bamford, Douglas and Forshaw come from the Championship.
Honestly, my intention was very natural because I consider when you have noble opponents with good intentions, when you have referees without considering they can make mistakes and take quick decisions, impartial referees, when you have an impeccable organisation, when you have high quality pitches and when you have all these ingredients, all competitions are similar, the only challenge is to propose your style.
That’s why I haven’t had any difficulties to adapt.
13:04BEREN CROSS
Eleven points from a losing position - what has changed for that stat this season?
To be able to make differences and comparison I would have to know what happened in the previous seasons. What I see is we have a group of players who are very capable, involved in the project - with the institution, involved with the public. I corrected the word project because this group of players would follow any kind of project.
The identification of the players with the team, with the city and with the fans is more important than the project. There is a mix between the team and professionalism. They are professionals, so they can do their job seriously. They have a dose of amateur because of the affection they have with what they are doing. It’s not only they do their job, it’s the feelings towards what they are doing.
In ways, it’s never good to analyse a group when they are at the top level. The good thing is we can say exactly what we just said in a moment of adversity.
13:00BEREN CROSS
Fifteen-point gap would be significant for Villa though
The other day I was told when Middlesbrough got promoted they had a 12-point difference and they lost it. I’ve just been told this otherwise I would say you can’t lose 15 points, but the team that got promoted lost 12 points.
12:59BEREN CROSS
Villa a serious rival at the top?
The important thing for this competition is who is getting promoted and who is struggling to get promoted. As it is a long competition, and as you have many possibilities because you have six teams able to go up, any conclusion will be a premature one.
I see every time I’m asked the same question in a different way, but unfortunately I can’t give you a different answer. Imagine if I had to give you an answer with a level of certainty in the answer. For any lucid observer it would be an act of irresponsibility. We only played half of the games. If you ask me if Villa has players to get promoted, my answer is yes. Do they have the structure to go up? Yes. Do they have a brilliant head coach? Of course. You have more than six teams with good players, good head coach and good structure.
We are sure among all these teams with the capacity for promotion, they won’t give the answer observers expect. We can’t draw conclusions now, we have to wait until the end. That’s why it’s very difficult to give a serious answer.
12:55BEREN CROSS
Need to replace Saiz?
The answer I just gave includes the answer to your question. If player arrives he has to have a better level than the player we already have. We also have to consider his adaptation to the competition and his new team. We have many hypotheses on that, so I can’t give you a clear answer.
The clear facts are we have less players than six months ago. If a player arrives it would mean he is better than the players we already have.
12:53BEREN CROSS
January plans
The possibility of strengthening the team is hypothetical, it’s not concrete or clear. There are some clear facts, For example, we have less players than at the beginning of the season. To add players to the team increasing the level of the team is not easy. If we find players better than those who left it will be a good addition to the team.
It’s only a possibility, for now.
12:52BEREN CROSS
First Christmas in England - what will it look like for you and players?
It’s a tradition in England. It’s something common. It’s something exceptional for other countries, but common here. When you play two games per week in two weeks it’s similar to other moments in the competition.
The fact this happens during Christmas and New Year period, it will be more demanding regarding professionalism, but it’s not exaggerated. It belongs to the folklore of English football and it belongs to the football culture of this country.
12:50BEREN CROSS
Christmas approach - rotation?
We’ll see the affects on each player and take decisions after that. We’ll take into account the fatigue.
12:49BEREN CROSS
Five wins - Villa biggest test?
It’s the last rival we haven’t played against. It’s a team with a very significant offensive strength. They are good in the collective play and they are good with their individual players. They also have many good players. If we take into account these aspects, they have very similar aspects to West Bromwich.
BEREN CROSS
Good afternoon
Welcome to a dreary Thorp Arch as we await Marcelo Bielsa and Salim Lamrani.
He is expected from 12.45pm.
-
Bielsa er en kompleks , rutinert rev.
Vi har hatt lite motgang, mye skader - men ikke lengre motvind... spent på hva det kan få ut av El Loco!
Trist å høre om Izzy , nye uker ute... ikke bra.
-
Før QPR i FA cupen:
13:44
That's all from Marcelo
Tyler Roberts up next.
13:43
Any FA Cup memories? Ardiles and Villa for example?
Good question.
Because you expose me to see what I try to say [laughs].
I’m going to tell you the truth. You know that English football is very popular around the world. YOu know that in England people love their traditions so we have a mix of 2 things.
Everybody wants to watch what you’ve been building throughout the centuries. It’s not a democratic (?) conclusion. I don’t have in mind all the specific moments of English football. My memories recalls Revie, Bobby Charlton. This striker with long hair, short, not very tall, very important number 9 for English football.
<Keegan?>
Yes, Keegan!
I take the name of a former American president and say he was a number 9!
13:39
Why do you trust Victor? What does he bring to his teams?
I trust him because I like the players I have at my disposal. The first time I saw Victor in my life was 5 months ago. It’s not like I’m his friend and I want to say good things about him.
I was telling the players today I have a lot of hope of the game on Sunday. I am looking forward to seeing the team that is going to start, I’m sure they will make us happy, winning. Because if you play well and you don’t win, it doesn’t make any sense and if you win but don’t play well it doesn’t last long.
13:37
Concerned about rivals signing players this month?
Victor Orta built this team.
Of course I gave my opinion on it but the creator of this team is Victor Orta. This team has a privallaged position in the Championship. Clearly, he was not mistaken. I trust but not because it’s rational trust. I don’t trust just because we work in the same club. I trust his work. And also I trust the support that the president gives to Victor’s decisions. When the club takes decisions, the decisions are mine.
THat’s why we have to understand the mechanics. When I say this team was built by Victor ORta, but if this team doesn’t work, I will be responsible. Why do I tell you that? Because when they propose things and I accept, it’s my decision. So I trust Victor and the only parameter is we bring a player only if he adds value to the team, not to give an image of bringing in players. Because many times we take decisions as a response to fans’ demands. We have to listen to the fans demands and we have to give answers according to what is being asked and what does the fan ask? To make this team better and it’s not an easy thing to do, especially during the winter. But even if no-one comes we will have the resources to finish the season.
13:33
No inhibition with naming your starting XI so early?
It’s not convenient to give two days before the game the starting XI because between now and Sunday many things could happen. That’s why I don’t usually, because it could change. At this moment all of our opponents know more about is than we do about them. It’s the same for us. And we don’t do it because it’s efficient. We do it because we want to increase the precautions.
When I started to be a head coach we had 3 staff, now we have 15, five times more. It hasn’t made the game better, but there is more work for our profession. That’s why for me to name it or not, it’s not very important.
But I wanted to give it today because the general opinion of my decisions is important to me. I wanted to explain case by case I did not disrespect the competition because the destanataries of the competitions are the fans and they have a link with the shirt and we can’t betray them.
13:30
What about Bamford and Brown? Bamford ready for Derby?
Izzy Brown is fit. But he hasn’t played in the last year.
Usually a process for a player like him is to play 4 or 5 games with the U23s before playing in the Championship. That’s why if everything goes well, by mid-February he will be in a position to be in the first team. Because first he has to reach his fitness level. And then he would have to be in competition with Pablo, Roberts, Roofe etc who play in the same position.
Bamford is well. He suffered an injury similar to the one before but not so serious. And we have to take precautions with that. That’s why we won’t accelerate the terms of recovery for Bamford. You have two ways of managing injuries of the players.
The first one is when you take into account the needs of the team or the second one is where you take into account the health of the player and for me I always put first the health of the player and then second the interest of the team. But to explain it clearly, if Roofe doesn’t play and if Patrick Bamford is available, it’s a possibility. But Tyler Roberts is a good alternative to both and we will try to have Harrison as an alternative. These are the ideas, they are not absences that generate problems without solutions. The fact we’ve played many games in a short period makes the other teams have the same unavoidable problems.
I don’t ignore the reality, but it’s a relaity that is a normal one because it’s a horizontal problem because they all have the same one.
13:24
You said Phillips had an injury - is he not suspended? Was that lost in translation?
Yes, he has a three game suspension.
Ayling needs to play because he feels he has not reached 100% of his performance. With Phillips suspended and Liam Cooper will play with the U23 before the CHampionship.
13:23
Dallas and Berardi injuries
Gaetano Berardi is well now. We’ll see during the month of January when we can put him inside the team. The process is always the same, like Liam Cooper.
The idea is that he plays with the U23 and then with the first team.
The process of recovery that the medical staff and fitness coach are doing have been always very efficient because the injured player when they come back to the first-team their level of performance is that good that you can’t see they’ve been injured before.
And usually it’s something very difficult to reach. You get this from the medical staff.
That’s why the contribution of the fitness staff has a lot for us.
As you see we’ve had many injuries.
Dallas started to train today. The problem with him is that as it’s a bone we have to wait until it heals and we have to be very careful with the help of their injured players.
13:20
Has there been any interest in your players? How important to keep the team together?
I don’t know.
13:20
Transfer window is open - what's the latest on a goalkeeper?
I don’t think that many players will come in.
And I couldn’t tell you if actually there’s a player who will come or not. If the club can get players who are better than the ones we have to come and in the position where we suffered some injuries, for example Samu Saiz left, Pablo now plays as a playmaker and we need a winger.
The injury of Jamal Blackman has not been covered by another player. These are the two positions that were solved at the start of the competition and now we’re trying to find another one.
We can also say that at the beginning of the season Jack Clarke was not a possibility, but now he is.
If players come, it will be better. And if nobody comes we will finish the season with the players we have and we trust all of the players we have.
From what I know the position of the club is that if we bring a player in, it must improve the club.
13:17
How long will Douglas be out for?
It’s a muscular injury. The fact that I’m taking into consideration is that he could finish the game. If you have a serious injury you cannot. Sometimes this kind of explanation is more an expression of hope than medical analysis. And as always we will be very careful with the help of our players because we still have five months of competition still to play and we are prepared to solve this absence.
We have Davis who can play as a full-back. Pearce can play also, he is available for this game. Alioski also played several minutes as a full-back. We would have preferred to have Douglas with us but we have solutions for his absence.
13:14
Any injury news?
I’m going to tell you my idea for this game.
Farrell will start. Shackleton will play as right-back. He’s an important player. Halme will play.
Because Jansson will train normally from Monday on.
Ayling will play too because he needs to play, because Phillips is injured (?). Cooper will play with under-23 on Monday. Davis will play too. Because Douglas is injured and it’s a player who is going to be missing for a while. It’s a muscular injury. Not that serious because he could finish the game against Nottingham. He didn’t come out of the game because he was injured.
Adam Forshaw will play as No 4, Baker as 8. Klich has played 36 games, he played all the games we have had and all the international games. I don’t think there is someone in the CHampionship who has played more than him. I think for him to rest is an obligation.
For Pablo it’s also an obligation to rest. Tyler Roberts will play.
And for the three offensive players, Harrison will play as No 9, Clarke on the right and Alioski on the left.
As Patrick Bamford is not present I’m interested in seeing Harrison as a No 9. In the time he played in this position he scored a goal.
The fact that he scored a goal doesn’t mean anything but it’s a possibility we would like to develop.
And it’s also convenient for Kemar Roofe not to play this game.
This is the scenario for today. I’m giving all these details because I don’t want people to think I’m not respecting the competition.
I have many hope for this starting XI. We’ve been working with these players, Halme, Shackleton, Davis for many weeks and it’s a good moment for them to start this game.
As you see for the first time I gave you more information than you asked for.
13:08
There are certain competitions that state you have to play certain players?
I understand.
In my point of view it doesn’t mean that someone having a different position will be a wrong one.
I don’t need to be obliged to respect the game, each game we play.
Before starting the season I know what is the calendar of the team. So we draw plans to play all the competitions. I never underestimate an official competition.
It’s among the compromises of the team. The FA Cup has a history, I don’t have to make any summary of it and of course I will respect this competition. Either if the rules oblige me to respect the competition or not, I will respect it.
13:06
Is it the coach's absolute right to pick who he wants in this competition?
What do you mean absolute right? Who could I share this with?
13:05
How much will you respect the competition?
The evaluation of each football player allows you to build the team.
I’m going to give you some arguments I use to build the team.
We have players that are not usually starters but they deserve to be starters. So I take these players into account for the competition.
You also have players who are starters but they need to play too.
You also have players who prefer to play rather than rest.
These arguments are the ones I take into account to build the starting XI.
13:03
Your first look at the FA Cup...
It’s a known competition of English football.
And for those who have been watching English football, they know about the FA Cup, they know what it’s about.
Every episode of football this country proposes, I have many expediencies about.
13:02
He's here...
Lets see what he has to say
Up for discussion today...
It’s been a while since we’ve been at Thorp Arch owing to the festive period, so there should be plenty to talk about.
Injuries will likely be top topic of discussion, so expect a decent update on the likes of Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas, Gaetano Berardi and Patrick Bamford.
It’s also the transfer window now, so that will likely come up
-
Joe Mewis
@joemewis
On the way back from a very entertaining Bielsa press conference. Him confusing Ronald Reagan with Kevin Keegan is an early highlight of 2019 #lufc
-
Joe Mewis
@joemewis
On the way back from a very entertaining Bielsa press conference. Him confusing Ronald Reagan with Kevin Keegan is an early highlight of 2019 #lufc
CK
@ephemeraljoy
I also love how every player is referred to by surname or full name except “Pabloâ€. #bielsa
-
Lee Sobot
@LeeSobotYEP
Nice moment at the end of the press conference today when Marcelo Bielsa said to us all: "I thank you for not asking me questions on the two losses we had. But I still have the mark (scar)" - pointing to his chest/heart. #lufc @LeedsNews
-
Fortsetter med denne tråden. Kan være moro å ha samlet mye av det Bielsa sier:
Før kampen mot Derby, hjemme:
Beren Cross
Good afternoon
Welcome to the media room at Thorp Arch and where we will be seeing Marcelo Bielsa very shortly. Stay tuned and watch for all of the questions and answers right here.
13:00
Bielsa's here
First question coming up.
13:02
Lewis Baker situation
I have the same information as you. It’s not official yet, but it’s something true. It was something in the contract. Obviously Chelsea and Baker chose to use this article to go back.
13:04
Opinion on Baker and possible replacement
He was always inside the group. Even if it’s true he hasn’t played a lot. Maybe he felt we did not value him at the right level. The only time I talked to him about this subject I not only told him I wanted him to stay with us, I told him even into the next year I wanted to keep him, but I understand he took another decision. He had legitimate expectations to play more. The last game he played in the FA Cup, for me he has a positive performance and, for me, this was a starting point for his development inside the team, but I can understand he took a different decision.
13:09
Transfer priorities
First I will see what the possibilities are of the club to bring in players. What kind of players the club can add to the team. If they are better than what we have. Obviously we had Blackman with us, but not anymore. Saiz and Baker left and we didn’t want them to leave. When I say it was not our decision to make him leave, but me as the head coach, as a club, it was his decision.
I can’t ignore the fact we have lost many players in the past few weeks, but we can adapt to the situation. We can solve these difficulties. Dallas, Berardi, Blackman are not here, outside the group. Liam comes back to the group. Douglas is not in the group. A fifth absence is Kalvin Phillips, who is suspended. Saiz and Baker are not inside the group.
Bamford is absent too. Pablo Hernandez will find it hard in the next game, so we are missing many players, but for me, it’s not an excuse. We have the obligation to win the next game and we can win the next game. We just lost the last three games, the last one we deserved to lose, but the two Championship games, we didn’t deserve to lose them.
We have no excuses not to win against Derby. We have the players we need to reach the win with optimism. Obviously, it doesn’t matter if we have 10 players less or not.
13:14
Continued...
Making himself clearer on transfers:
We are lacking 10 players. If the club can bring players it will be only if they are better than what we have. In the next few weeks we will have Dallas with us, Berardi, Phillips, Brown, Bamford, Douglas all too. In 10 absences it will be a big reduction with these returning. That’s why I clearly say if nobody comes we will solve the problem anyway and I can’t give you the positions because it depends on the quality of the players we get. If we need a midfielder and if we can bring him here, but if he’s not good we won’t take him. We will add great players that will be better than those we have, that means an important investment for the club.
That can solve the fact Vieira left, Saiz left and Baker left. We were not expecting these exits. The main investment the club did couldn’t be an addition to us. The main investment was Bamford and he played for a short time, got injured, played for a short time and got injured. Blackman also got a six-month injury.
Dallas and Berardi also suffered severe injuries. The club can’t forecast all these things.
13:15
Do you recommend players?
No. He proposes to me, players and I give my opinion.
13:16
Unlikely a previously coached player will come here?
The one who is looking at the market is Victor and he looks at the window and tells me what are the possibilities and I give my point of view. I, honestly, haven’t mentioned any player I had before, but if it was the case I am sure he would talk about it with me.
13:18
Hernandez doubt
He could play on Friday. I can’t say 100 per cent he won’t play, but if there is even a small doubt I wouldn’t like to take any risks with him over another injury. If it’s up to him it’s a feeling. If it was up to him he would play because he’s a generous player. He should play only if we are sure it can’t get worse.
13:19
Important game - how significant to win and send message?
We need to win the game because we lost the last two, because we are playing a team going up (in form) and they are playing with a style and if we can win against them taking their style into account it would be very good for us.
13:20
Liam Cooper
I went to see the game on Monday versus Hull City. He played an hour. He is in good condition to come back to the team. He has a very good first pass, he is good with the aerial balls, he is our captain and he deserves to be our captain.
When he’s inside the team he makes the team stronger.
13:21
Will Cooper help with set-pieces?
Yes. When these players play, Ayling, Berardi, Phillips, Cooper, Jansson, we have great headers. When you don’t have them it affects the team.
13:22
Different Derby game to August?
Derby’s not the same team anymore. They are a lot better now as a team. I don’t think it’s going to be the same game. We have the conditions to try to win against this. We can’t rely on the fact we played against them five months ago. It will not be similar. Both teams are very different
13:28
All over from Bielsa
That’s all for now.
-
For de som har glemt hva Bielsa sa på sin første pressekonferanse i sommer. Her adresserer han stallens størrelse, og hva han har tenkt å gjøre med den. Bielsa holder det han lover.
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/what-marcelo-bielsa-said-carrying-15660212 (https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/what-marcelo-bielsa-said-carrying-15660212)
-
Tar med dette resymeet her:
Leeds United are watching you - Phil Hay's take on astonishing insight into the world of Marcelo Bielsa
Phil Hay
Published: 06:00 Thursday 17 January 2019
Last week it dawned on the Championship that Marcelo Bielsa was watching them but even Derby County, with a scout from Leeds United peering through their fence, did not know the half of it.
Frank Lampard devoted 15 hours to watching footage of Leeds before taking Derby to Elland Road on Friday. Footage of Derby studied by Bielsa ran to almost 300.
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Leeds’ analysis was weeks and months in the making and Bielsa’s backroom team compile the same mass of information about every club in their league: four hours a game and each game scrutinised.
Stoke City, as of last week, are in the hands of a new manager and Leeds play there on Saturday. Bielsa has already procured data from every fixture which Nathan Jones, Stoke’s latest incumbent, contested with Luton Town this season.
No rest, no sleep and no bases uncovered, including reconnaissance of opposition training grounds.
Yesterday Bielsa took the extraordinary step of inviting members of the media to Thorp Arch for a presentation of the detail of his pre-match scouting methods. After a weekend in which he was chastised and condemned - albeit amongst pockets of support - for asking a young intern to watch Derby train from a vantage point on a public road, it was Bielsa’s way of painting the controversy as overblown; that nothing the intern brought home with him could enhance the data Leeds produced legitimately.
That when all was said and done, Bielsa appeared to know as much about Derby as Lampard himself.
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa admits spying on every Championship club during unprecedented rebuttal
Staged at 5pm with two hours warning, the briefing was sold as a press conference but it involved no questions. Bielsa directed it from the start and over 66 minutes explained without saying as much why one scouting trip on a Thursday morning was a needle in a haystack of staggering amounts of videos and spreadsheets put together by his staff. More than once he described the bulk of the information as “uselessâ€.
He berated himself as “stupid†for obsessing so much about it. So why bother, he asked aloud? “Because it allows me to keep my anxiety low.â€
That comment was a window not only into Bielsa’s psyche but the paranoia and restless way in which managers think and act. It was paranoia that got to Lampard before Derby’s 2-0 defeat at Elland Road on Friday. Bielsa tried to stress last week - to no avail as far as an angry Lampard was concerned - that he was in the habit of scouting opposition training sessions for no other reason than to turn over every stone.
“The way to respect football is to make the effort to know the players in the team,†he said, talking through his translator Salim Lamrani. “I might not be able to speak English but I can speak about the 24 teams of the Championship.â€
Bielsa was not there to pick a fight with Lampard or to ask English football to accept his methods. He was there to clear his name by disputing the accusation that he cheated last week and, in light of investigations launched by the EFL and the Football Association and the threat of sanctions in the offing, to ask the question of whether anything seen at Derby’s training ground last Thursday could have made a material difference to the game the following evening. It was an attempt to kill the onslaught against him with a weight of irrefutable numbers.
The transparency was at odds with questions about his integrity and honesty.
Leeds United fans defend Marcelo Bielsa as reaction to Spygate conference unfolds
No manager at Leeds, or any other English club for that matter, has ever opened their methods of analysis to such intense scrutiny by journalists. At certain points Bielsa asked those gathered if they wanted additional examples - none were necessary - and by the closing minutes he was letting a few reporters with other places to be through the door behind him. When the end came, he thanked his audience and walked straight out (of the room rather than the club. The arrangement of an impromptu press conference by a head coach who quit Lazio after two days and resigned from Marseille at a moment’s notice had set alarm bells ringing beforehand).
The presentation, provided through PowerPoint, was bewildering in its detail. Lamrani sat across the room, translating everything, and Bielsa’s entire coaching team were lodged behind the media, watching silently until Bielsa sought contributions from them.
Derby, for obvious reasons, were used as a case study by Bielsa but every team in the division had been given the same surgery: statistics, formations, a close look at individual players and numbers related to set-pieces. Data drilled down to the very bottom. “Apart from the players, in your staff you have around 20 people,†Bielsa said. “These 20 people create a volume of information which is absolutely not necessary.â€
There were breakdowns of Derby’s line-ups and the percentage of time players spent in each position, the type of systems County struggled against most, videos clips of Lampard’s attacking play and a look at what Harry Wilson, the Derby winger whose fitness Leeds were seeking to establish last week, planned to do when he purposely raised two hands before taking a corner.
"All the data we can have about Wilson, we know about his past,†Bielsa said. The same applied to every one of Wilson’s teammates. Bielsa and his analysts watched all 51 games played by County last season, purely for the purpose of assessing any squad members who were still involved now.
“Why did we do that?†Bielsa asked. “Because we think this is professional behaviour. It's to try and avoid being ignorant about the competition we're playing in.
Full transcript of every word Marcelo Bielsa said in Leeds United spygate conference
"When you watch an opponent, you’re looking for specific information. You want to know what is the starting XI, what is the tactical system that's going to be used and the strategic decisions taken on set-pieces. All this information, I don't memorise it but if I have a doubt, I can ask myself the question and have a look at these documents.â€
He took no pleasure in revealing the depths of his diligence, much as those watching were captivated by it. “I feel ashamed to have to show you this,†he said, but the criticism of him over the weekend - including Stuart Pearce calling on Tuesday for the FA to reverse Leeds’ victory over Derby - had driven him to fight his corner.
Time and again Bielsa came back to the word “uselessâ€. So much of the information, he said, was of precious little value to him. He told the story of how, as Athletic Bilbao manager, he offered Pep Guardiola the chance to look through his pre-match analysis after Barcelona won the Copa Del Rey final 3-0 in 2012.
“Guardiola had a look at it and he told me 'you know more about Barcelona than me',†Bielsa recalled. “But it was useless information because they scored three goals.†Likewise the time spent by him studying opposition set-pieces this season. “Was this useful? No, because half of the goals we concede are from set-pieces.â€
There would have been a danger of Bielsa protesting too much had his work not been so impossibly deep, to a level most likely unmatched in Championship circles. Stacks of paper files lay under the video screens, each one devoted to last season’s fixtures and the summer’s pre-season friendlies. What Bielsa was allowing the public to see looked above board but still Bielsa was not sure if anyone was buying his argument.
“I'm doing this because I consider that you don't believe me,†he said, in reference to his claim that he had not gained any specific “sports advantage†from snooping on Lampard last Thursday. “I wanted to give you factual elements to convince you I'm telling the truth.
“I want to be judged by my intentions because for me, I feel I'm not guilty. I don't have bad intentions.â€
The EFL and FA will take their own view on that and there is pressure from within the sport for both bodies to make an example of Bielsa but they were faced yesterday with a display of competence and attention to detail which made Bielsa an example to others in his profession. In one sentence, stood like Rainman with a baffling array of numbers in front him, Bielsa summed up the point of it all.
“I don't need to go to watch a training session of an opponent to know how the opponent plays,†he said. As he dropped the microphone, metaphorically, and left the room, it was hard to disagree.
-
442
Explaining Marcelo Bielsa: How the Argentine came to influence football's greatest managers
If you thought Brian Clough’s Leeds spell was fraught, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Bielsa has inspired a generation of top coaches to become winners – and a string of club owners to pull their hair out
Chuck Berry didn’t invent rock and roll music, but he probably came closer than anyone else, along with Elvis Presley and Little Richard, to putting all the necessary components in the right order.
Berry was radical, obsessive and utterly convinced he was always right about everything. He spent much of his teenage years in the early 1950s disassembling and reassembling transistor radios, so he understood the exact mechanics of how they produced sound and could adapt his rock and roll masterpieces accordingly.
It worked. Every time he implored Beethoven to roll over (and tell Tchaikovsky the news), he inspired wide-eyed teens everywhere to pick up their guitar and play. “It wasn’t until I heard Chuck Berry that I realised what you could do,†recalled The Who’s Pete Townshend.
“I lifted every lick he ever played,†said Rolling Stone Keith Richards. “Even if you’re a rock guitarist who wouldn’t name him as your main influence, your main influence is probably still influenced by Chuck.â€
This summer, Berry’s football equivalent, whose coaching playbook is no less exhaustive or far-reaching, achieved a lifetime ambition of managing in England. Marcelo Bielsa became Leeds manager.
Almost every major league is permeated by his coaching acolytes, many of them former players such as Mauricio Pochettino or Diego Simeone, who’ve lived and breathed the unconventional methods of El Loco – The Madman. Pep Guardiola may not have played under the Argentine coach, but the Manchester City boss has long since viewed Bielsa with the sort of reverence that The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and more reserved for Berry.
The 63-year-old is the best-paid coach outside the top flight, his idiosyncratic, almost autocratic mannerisms bringing stardust to the Championship. There will be fireworks, homework, the potential amputation of fingers, and team talks from a coach who relaxes by going for 2am runs while listening to tapes about tactics.
Life is seldom dull when Marcelo Bielsa is around.
“He wanted to help this group of street kids become heroesâ€
Johnny B Goode is the semi-autobiographical story of a humble guitar-playing country boy, whose mother convinces her son that “someday your name will be in lightsâ€.
While you could never describe Bielsa’s upbringing in a Rosario townhouse as humble – the family is one of Argentina’s great legal dynasties; Marcelo’s grandfather, father, brother and sister are all either lawyers or politicians – his mother Lidia did indeed instil her youngest son with the intrinsic belief that he would dominate his chosen discipline. From an early age, football became that calling.
“She was fundamental in my life,†Bielsa has said of his mother. “For her, no [amount of] effort was sufficient.†Lidia would be dispatched to the local newsagents most days to pick up the daily newspapers and Argentina’s weekly sporting bible El Grafico, which her son would study religiously.
Bielsa learned from his grandfather Rafael – a lawyer responsible for creating much of the country’s legislature – that knowledge was power; knowledge gleaned from his collection of more than 30,000 books at the family home. Even now, Bielsa subscribes to more than 40 different sports magazines the world over, FourFourTwo included.
Ever the contrarian, Bielsa supported Newell’s Old Boys because his father was a fan of bitter city rivals Rosario Central. Picked up by Newell’s in his teens, he was good on the ball, but slow and poor in the air. He realised after three first-team appearances that his talent lay more in an innate appreciation of how and why things happen on a pitch than what he could actually do with a ball himself. So at 25, he quit, enrolled to become a PE teacher and two years later, in 1982, took a job managing the University of Buenos Aires’ football team.
Bielsa was only three years older than most of his players, but his work ethic and obsessive professionalism won the squad over. He watched more than 3,000 players before deciding on his 20-man squad, then drilled them relentlessly. When UBA drew with Boca Juniors’ reserves in a friendly, Newell’s hired him as a youth coach.
Convinced that Argentina’s agrarian interior housed untapped talent, Bielsa and his assistant Jorge Griffa divided the country into 70 different regions and drove his battered Fiat 147 to every one.
Bielsa and Griffa turned up at a sleeping Mauricio Pochettino’s house at 2am, commenting how the 13-year-old future Spurs boss had “the legs of a footballerâ€. But Pochettino is just one of dozens of players they scouted. Gabriel Batistuta – the son of a slaughterhouse worker in small-town Avellanada – was another in 1987.
“When I arrived, I was fat – it’s that simple,†explained Batistuta. “I liked alfajores [a traditional biscuit]. The first thing Bielsa did was get rid of them and teach me to train in the rain. I hated him for it.
“We were a group of dreamers and the first dreamer was Bielsa. He dreamed about being Arrigo Sacchi, who he watched constantly winning European Cups. He wanted that to be us. A group of street kids to become heroes.â€
Pochettino and midfielder Eduardo Berizzo followed Batistuta into the first team, Bielsa’s personally-scouted stream of young, hungry players with fire in their bellies turning Newell’s Old Boys into one of Argentina’s most promising sides. His El Loco epithet – earned after telling defender Fernando Gamboa that he’d cut off his own finger if it guaranteed victory – was long since earned.
In 1989, Bielsa was promoted to reserve team manager, and his methods were being noticed further up the club. “We shared the dressing room with the reserves,†said attacking midfielder Gerardo Martino. “You’d come in for training and there would be so many arrows on the whiteboard that you could barely make out where one ended and another began. You thought the Indians were coming! Within a year, that guy was our coach.â€
“If my players weren’t human, I’d never loseâ€
Martino was vital to Bielsa’s acceptance in the first team in 1990. The side’s most talented and creative player, the indolent playmaker hated grafting – a trait Bielsa despised in a player.
“We had a chat before he started,†revealed Martino, “and he told me there was only one chance to play in his team: you had to run. He convinced everyone that his was the way. Every training session with him was different, he never repeated a single one. I would come back from international duty and go straight to one of Marcelo’s sessions because they were that good.â€
Defend, attack and transition between the two at frightening speed: that was the mantra. Deny the opposition space anywhere, win the ball as high as possible and be dynamic to create chances.
Repeating those turnovers became second nature, even though they required independent thought – a curious contradiction Bielsa came to call repentizacion; essentially sight-reading for football. Even though each attacking situation was different, the squad worked so constantly on those transitions that the concept became ingrained, like playing a piece of music without practising it beforehand.
So determined was Bielsa to implement that strategy, he instructed keeper Norberto Scoponi to intentionally hit goal-kicks out of play for a throw-in, reasoning that the midfield could win the ball back quickly and create an artificial turnover. Newell’s became a pressing machine.
Inside a year, Bielsa’s side had won the 1990 Apertura; with the Argentine league season split into two parts followed by a play-off between the two champions, La Lepra (the Lepers) then triumphed in the championship decider on penalties against Boca Juniors.
“Newell’s, carajo!†became the club’s war cry – “Newell’s, you c***s!†Shouldered aloft by his charges at a baying Bombonera, Bielsa was taking on all-comers. El Loco had become the architect of chaos.
For six months, the club’s form dipped alarmingly: players were unable to live up to Bielsa’s physical and mental demands.
“They were very passionate team talks,†recalled midfielder Alfredo Berti, his manager’s on-field lieutenant to whom Bielsa addressed tactical instruction. “If you loved football, you got so much out of them. Every comment was discussed and Marcelo had the patience to explain it.â€
For the first time, the workaholic Bielsa delegated. He began to set the squad’s younger players homework. They were to buy El Grafico, Solo Futbol and Clarin, and research how upcoming opposition played: usual formations, their last eight games, which substitutes they used, set-piece takers and threats. Their findings would then be presented to the squad and a training session built around them.
“It helped you find answers on the pitch,†Pochettino later recalled. “All that homework – I wish all my friends could have experienced at least one per cent of what I did.â€
Out of the rut, Newell’s went on to secure the 1992 Clausura and reached the 1992 Copa Libertadores Final, losing on penalties to Sao Paulo with Cafu scoring the Brazilians’ decisive penalty.
Yet Bielsa could take no more. Like his future disciple Guardiola two decades later, the pressure of managing his boyhood club proved too much and he resigned as Newell’s boss, never to return. “If players weren’t human,†he said, “I’d never lose.â€
“Don’t shoot! I’m Marcelo Bielsa!â€
Bielsa taking a break could never be as easy as spending time with his wife Laura and two daughters. Over the following six years he became something of a coaching nomad, managing both Atlas and America in Mexico, before returning to Argentina with Velez Sarsfield – lifting the 1998 Clausura – and finally spending a nine-game spell with La Liga side Espanyol. Further idiosyncrasies followed.
Owned by a cabal of television executives, America insisted on Bielsa speaking only to their outlets. He so hated the imposition that by the time he became Argentina coach in the autumn of 1998, he refused to give any one-on-one interviews whatsoever.
“Why am I going to give an interview to a powerful guy, if that’s going to deny someone from the provinces?†he reasoned. “What’s your criteria to do that? My own interests? That’s just opportunism.â€
Bielsa would talk to Argentina’s media only at press conferences, a method since repeated by Guardiola, but the deal-sweetener was that journalists could ask him anything and he would answer in detail. One press conference went on so long – more than four hours – that many members of the country’s fourth estate had to leave early or risk missing deadline for their evening editions.
Never one to do anything by halves, Bielsa finds it impossible to switch off. A frequent de-stress technique is to go for a run. At 2am. While listening to his favourite coaching mix tape detailing the 22 formations he believes are possible on a football pitch.
So engrossed was Bielsa while running through the grounds of Argentina’s Ezeiza training complex in early 1999, he couldn’t hear local police shouting at him. Finally noticing a dozen guns pointed at him, he hid behind a tree, pleading: “Don’t shoot! I’m Bielsa!â€
NEXT: An inspiration to Simeone, Pochettino and Guardiola
-
Før kampen mot Stoke, borte:
Bielsa expected from 12.30pm
Sit tight. We know it will be worth the wait...
On Stoke
“It was an important win in August over Stoke, aside from the three points.â€
Difficulty in analysing Stoke with new boss
We prepared the game taking into account the starting XI of the opponent. Taking our starting XI into account: Forshaw, Pablo, Clarke (didn’t get the other names).
We want to show we can have a positive several results in a row.
Injured players - update
Berardi will play next Monday and if everything goes well he will be in the group for the next game. Dallas started the training sessions with the group today and Douglas will do the same tomorrow. They won’t play next Monday, but they will the following under-23s game. If everything goes well they will be in for the next game after that.
It will be the same for Bamford. Maybe he will need a little more time. These three players will be available in the next 10 days. Also, Phillips will come back as he will have his three-match suspension over.
We solved the absence of Blackman with the signing of Casilla.
Casilla attributes
He’s a complete player. He’s good in the aerial game. He’s a good player when he has to block shots from the opponent. He is a player with personality. He is good with his feet and with balls in the air. We can’t say one of these aspects is a strong points, but I don’t see any weak points.
Fit enough to play now?
Today has been his first session with us. He won’t play against Stoke, even if he’s fit to do it, he won’t do it.
We’ll see the evolution in the next few days and take a decision.
Relief to focus on the football
A big relief.
Izzy Brown
He is fit. The figures we take into account when a player hasn’t played for a year, these figures show a player needs six games to recover his fitness and be ready for a high competition game.
We’ll see with the passing of the games if six is enough, too much or not enough.
Stoke thoughts - under perfoming?
We can’t have any doubt about the quality of their players. Just look at the games they play. It’s a team which has the skills to have a higher rank than the one they have now. Every time I look at the results after a game we have more unexpected results than expected ones. The attractive aspect of the Championship are these results.
If I had to describe the Championship, the one who is supposed to win does not win necessarily. If the favourite team wins it’s never easy for the favourite team.
Impact Brown can have
Brown has to show he can play. Not to me, obviously. He will have to prove himself. He has been elected the best player of the Championship some years ago.
Discussion around Brown’s success at Huddersfield.
I’m taking this example to show he has already shown his skills. When you don’t play for a year you have doubts about the level of a player. It’s not about confidence because Izzy Brown is very confident. It’s not about work because he’s a very serious professional. The idea is to take his willingness, his confidence and his work to be at the olace where he has been in the past. This is a work we are all involved in, implicated in. We have hope about it.
United are the best team this season - important to remember that?
What happened in the last few days is something complex. The focus was put on that and not on the football.
-
Før Rotherham borte:
12:59
Joe Mewis
Today's main talking points...
As ever, there’s plenty for Bielsa to discuss today.
Gaetano Berardi is the main talking point from an injury point of view, with updates on Bamford, Brown, Douglas and Dallas also expected.
Transfers will no doubt get a mention alongside the trip Rotherham.
Yorkshire derby - do you feel you have to win?
We have to win all games.
The last result doesn’t give more importance to the obligation to win.
Has spygate become a distraction? Are you looking for a quick resolution, one way or the other?
What’s happening is the consequence of my behaviour and I have to take the repercussions
We are already focusing on football. It’s not about what I would like. I am not in the condition to give a point of view on this.
On Jack Clarke - important he stays at Leeds for his own development?
The important thing is the opinion of the club and of course the opinion of the player.
On Emiliano Sala. Does he know him from Argentina?
I played against him. What happened to him is very painful. Very, very painful.
How likely are you to play Casilla at Rotherham?
Casilla will start. Phillips will play in place of Jansson.
Has Clarke being distracted by the speculation?
We haven’t talked about this subject. I didn’t talk about it with him.
Is he very focused on his work?
We have many young players that arrive at the high level. The players who start the high competition at the start, we don’t have many players who do that. And even less players who stay as high players.
And the step he is making shows he belongs in the first division and at the highest level. We will have conformation of this with time.
Conversations on transfers with Orta?
When there is someone to talk about, yes.
Why are you playing Casilla? And how has BPF done for you so far?
I use the same reason to substitute Farrell I used when I thought about putting Blackman in.
Regarding the performance of Farrell, we have two ways of looking at it.
He is a goalkeeper with skills. He has the resources to become a starter in an ambitious team.
He needs to correct some mistakes.
Sometimes when you make mistakes you lose a little bit of confidence.
And at the same time the mistakes make you increase your work to correct them.
When you make a mistake you suffer pressure. And we need to learn how to live with the pressure.
It’s a long process, with many steps and it’s a difficult path, especially when you’re a young player and it’s even more difficult when a team is at the top or bottom of the table.
So I thought it was the right time to put Casilla in as a starter but I don’t think that this will stop the improvement of Farrell.
The skills that Farrell has, we haven’t seen them so far in the games.
But as we see him every day in training, we know his sills and what he is capable of.
I think he will play again as a starter in the future.
And we have to contribute to take advantage of the time when there are less demanding goals.
And we take advantage of this time to allow him to correct what he needs to correct.
I think he is a very good asset to Leeds because he has been formed in the club, he is very young, he will play as a professional player for 15 years at least and if he uses the time positive, either playing or not, because when you play what you see is the limits you have, the mistakes you make. And when you make mistakes that have consequences this increases the speed of improvement.
And when you have time without pressure it’s the best time to regain confidence and develop the skills you have.
Surprised Casilla was willing to come to Leeds?
I think that the fans of Leeds United should be proud to have Casilla as a goalkeeper.
Because it’s not frequent that you can get a player from Real Madrid. It’s not often a player of this level chooses to play in the Championship. The players always are careful when they have to take decisions and they receive a lot of advice. Casilla comes to Leeds because he thinks he is not making a mistake. He thought a lot about the decision.
I think that English football and Leeds United should be proud he came here.
What is the focus on training this week? Finishing chances?
We played the worst game so far at Stoke.
Just after playing the best game of the Championship and it’s very difficult for us to understand our last performance.
We played against an opponent that made it easy for us to win the game.
And if we had to take a game where it is easy to do what we do the best - attack - it was the game against Stoke City. During all the game we had two players who were always free. Alioski and Ayling.
We only had to watch the game to reach this conclusion.
On injuries
Dallas is available. Same for Douglas. They lack tempo of course and need to find the competition pace.
Berardi was in the same situation as Dallas and Douglas. He played 45 minutes with the U23s and it was hard for him to assimilate the game.
Even if he didn’t get injured again, but we know he will need more time to reach his best level.
Dallas and Douglas will play with the U23s next Monday so they will be able to complete for the first team.
Bamford started to train normally today. He will increase the tempo next week and in about 10 days he will play an U23 game and he will be available for the first team.
Bamford has been absent a long time, same as Izzy Brown. He didn’t play for a year and he will need several games in order to be the player he was before he got injured. This is usually the case for a player who misses a year. He needs between six and eight games to reach his highest level. He will not be on the bench on Saturday.
The freedom of which these two players received the ball allowed us to take the ball into their box and usually when we have freedom in this zone we are usually in good conditions to do what we do the best, which is to see the switch of tempo, the association play, make combined movements and as a consequence play deep but we couldn’t do any of this.
When I say it was a game that we could win we just have to have a look at what were the situations, the chances of the opponent to score and how they got these chances to score.
Even when they played with 11 vs 10 the opponent was not an obstacle for us, We were our man obstacle.
On Casilla's U23s performance this week
You can’t make an opinion on this kind of game. It’s a game to get your sport fitness.
If I had to make an opinion I would say positive things, but it’s not important.
How has he trained?
You make an opinion regarding goalkeepers in games.
If I make an opinion from training or with the U23s, it will be the opinion from next Saturday.
Tough decision not to put Kalvin back in midfield?
Adam Forshaw plays very well as a number 4. He is one of the best players of the team.
As a matter of fact against Stoke he was the best player.
Phillips has adapted very well to the position of centre-back. Of course this doesn’t mean Phillips won’t play as a 4 again or Forshaw as an 8 because these are their positions.
What are you expecting from Rotherham?
They are different styles.
They usually play long balls. They use prolongations of the ball and 50/50 balls, they try to get the second balls. They use long throws, rely on set pieces.
And we have different styles. Ours is not better or worse than theirs. They will try to play using their style and we will try to use ours.
I think they know what they have neutralise in our game to weaken us.
And we know what we have to be careful about to prevent the opponent from growing inside the game.
That's all from Bielsa
Plenty of reaction to come, so stay tuned.
Kilde: Leeds-Live
-
Før Norwich hjemme:
In position
Waiting on the main man...
Last day of the window - Dan James?
So far I don’t have any news about transfers. I know both clubs are negotiating, but I don’t know if it’s done.
Pablo fit?
Yes. He trained normally.
Changes on Saturday? Jansson available
No Phillips! Gave us the full XI. Roberts starts.
Here is the team: Casllia, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Alioski, Forshaw, Harrison, Klich, Roberts, Hernandez, Roofe.
Mental concentration on Saturday? Teams score late goals
It’s a team that attacks very well. It’s a team designed to attack. It doesn’t mean they don’t defend well,but the profile of the team is a creative profile. We want to attack, but we know we will have to defend a lot too.
Are Norwich best opponent in the league?
It’s an opponent we have to respect, but all the opponents have had ups and downs. It will be a mistake to think all these teams are not important. We can’t ignore the potential of these teams and I just quoted the teams which come to my mind. Usually, football makes sure what seems evident to everyone doesn’t happen.
Pukki - how difficult to find unknown players like him?
His skills are not common in English football. He’s not a player who goes for 50-50s or uses his physical capabilities. It’s a player who is hard to neutralise. He uses a lot his intuition. He is always in good positions to receiver the ball and he makes many movements. He plays simple and efficient.
How significant would six-point gap be?
If we have six points and the team plays with regularity it’s a big difference. Ups and downs would make it nothing.
Is Saturday more significant than others for you?
I think, apart from our positions, the offensive aspects of both teams make this attractive.
If James done - how happy with January?
Orta chose James and I accepted the player proposed to me. I agree with the fact this player has the features the team needs and responds to the needs of the team. If he comes it will be a significant transfer. If he doesn’t come we will find solutions for the rest of the season.
Like James's age?
The most important element is how he plays and then comes how old is he. He comes inside the group to compensate experience with youth. We have enough experienced players, so we can have young players too.
Douglas and Brown - ready?
Douglas, yes. Brown, no.
Why not Brown?
I talked several times about his injury. I already answered several times to the question you asked. You will remember the answer I gave, but I will repeat it again.
Izzy hasn’t played for one year. He is fit. He has trained. The sport aspect is different from the fitness aspect. You need to play six or eight games to recover sport fitness. After playing six or eight games usually the player recovers his skills. Not necessarily. That’s what we hope. He is a player if he gets back he will be very important for us because he’s a 10 with the capacity to score goals. He can break the balance with the opponent with his play.
When a creative player reaches his level he goes inside the team immediately. The position of a winger and the nine and 10, are the most difficult positions in football. Difficult to play well in these positions. It’s true the majority of subs are made in these four positions. Any offensive player who plays well will be in the team.
Clarke, Pablo, Roofe, Bamford, Roofe, Harrison, Stevens, Klich. Dallas and Roberts too. If Izzy plays better than them he will play
When did the 6-8 games for Brown start? He's played that many already
No he hasn’t played six to eight games.
He started to play, he got injured. Now he plays his second game.
<So it starts from the hamstring injury?>
Anyway as I see you’re worried about the situation, the previous answer you can apply to ant decision I take. I have to chose and I’m never sure that I’m taking the right decision.
And many times I doubt that I took the right decision.
Every time you ask me about the presence or absence of a player I will answer the same. I chose the player who offered the best options to resolve the game at that moment.
Any more on Dallas' injury?
He has a problem with his foot. It’s a new problem, linked to the bone stress and for now he will need complete rest for ten days.
And then with the evolution we will see how long he needs.
Why will Phillips miss out?
I just answered that question.
Did I express myself not well enough?
I had to chose between Jansson and Phillips, and Cooper and Phillips, and Forshaw and Philips. I had to chose between those three players.
Question from German journalist - what he thinks of English football compared with elsewhere?
I prefer not to make comparisons because I have worked in several places. I can give you my opinion on English football. I don’t think I will say something new because everything has been said on English football. In England, the desire to win is stronger than the fact we don’t want to lose. In England: win before loss(?).
This tells a lot about how the English culture sees the game. This is what makes the specificity of English football around the world. Another thing seen in France and Germany too, it’s a structure project to develop young players.
Football is undergoing a huge crisis because we have more and more spectators, which allows the economic prosperity of football, but it’s an everyday horror to get good players.
In this sense, these three countries, Germany, France and England have been at the vanguard.
What is satisfying about working in England?
The players still have a link with the amateur aspect of the game and this is very important, this has a lot of value because they constantly receive messages telling them to get rid of this amateur aspect, but to be a good professional you need to be a great amateur too.
The team of Leeds has many amateur values in the behaviour of the players.
What do you mean by amateur values?
It means I don’t play football for money, but I play because I love football.
Long season - Leeds and Norwich aggressive - hard to keep up intensity at the end?
The answer only has value if we can verify it. All I can say is ‘yes we will.’ We know the truth only in May.
Not considering changing style for fatigue?
Absolutely not. I’m going to tell you why.
It’s so hard to draw the style of a team and it takes so long. At the same time it’s so unstable, but when you think about switching the style, if you could change the style, it means it’s because the style is not strong enough.
If you can change something easily, it means it was not hard to build it. I never think about changing the style. I’d rather focus on problems in what we’re doing.
With the constant problems with changing plans, especially when losing, for me, these solicitations deserve this response: the response is you have to correct what is not done well.
Sixty-three now - called El Loco - honour or insult?
First of all, I can’t say I’m successful. I’d rather say the opposite.
One of the things you hear the most when people talk about me, is the lack of trophies. You can verify this. When you’ve been working in football for such a long time, and when you’ve been in for such a long time, given the opinion enough factual elements to draw your own conclusions about whether it’s positive or negative.
I’m sure you think you think it’s a positive one.
Fini
All over here. One of those more florid, personable press conferences we have seen at times this term. Full transcript from everything he said later...
One final answer on James - missed this earlier
I read with the fact he (James) will come. As Saiz is not in the club anymore, Pablo plays as a 10. And the fact Douglas was absent, Alioski plays as a full-back. At the beginning our wingers were Pablo and Alioski. For us, it will be important to have a winger.
-
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyPwnk8W0AA0bVn?format=jpg&name=900x900)
-
Før Middlesbrough borte:
We're in place...
We’re in place at Thorp Arch, where it’s a busy press room here.
Bielsa is due up in ten minutes.
He's here....
Right, let’s see what the Leeds head coach has to say....
Team news - will you look to make changes? Bamford, Phillips?
This will be the starting line-up:
Casilla, Ayling, Jannson,, Cooper, Alioski, Phillips or Forshaw, Klich or Shackleton, Roofe, Harrison, Bamford,, Hernandez or Clarke.
Forshaw and Klich have a problem with the knee, Pablo with the groin.. They will not play.
On attacking struggles
My answer to this question, I don’t have any problem answering again, the only thing when I repeat is that I feel it’s not very convenient for the listeners.
Regarding the offensive football, when we increase our efficient, our opportunities are bigger.
Our offensive play is very important and the inefficiency has an impact.
Regarding the offensive play that has been the basis of our team so far, I have two points of view on it.
The first thing is to neutralise the attempts that the opponent builds and on this aspect the team has always been efficient and regular. The second aspect has to do with mistakes we make playing out close to our goal and when we make them we make it easier for our opponent to build offensive action.
And on this aspect we have lacked consistency. Anyways, I don’t blame anyone for these kind of actions because when you put the ball from defence to attack by building the attack, it is indispensable if we want to attack well, when you go through this process you always have the possibility to make a mistake.
I never tell our players that they have to respect a certain style, but they cannot make mistakes. Our style includes a risk. The alternative path is ti use 50/50 balls but I think this is not convenient for us, it’s better to be faithful to our style.
Are teams changing their style to face Leeds?
In order to play well and dominate the opponent we don’t rely on the changes that the opponent makes.
We only rely on our efficiency and the development of our style.
When we play well we can beat any model from the opponent. And when we don’t play well, any model we are playing against is hard for us.
You took responsibility for the defeat - but what have your players said to you about responsibility?
I think that the last loss, when I make a decision, I take decisions that change the game, but when I see it was not the right decision, I cannot say it is the responsibility of the players.
In the last game we played we had some segments that would be worth looking at.
When you evaluate the facts, you can put aside the analysis.
The analysis has to analysis two aspects: What you produce in a game and what you get from the production.
In the last game if we were as efficient as the opponent we would have won the game.
If we hadn’t contributed in the goals the opponent scored we would have won the game by a large margin.
When we build our offensive play usually we don’t reply on the mistakes of the opponent. Because when we attack and when we attack well it’s not because the opponent made mistakes.
Usually we defend well and when we have to neutralise the opponent, usually we don’t have difficulties to do that.
And when we are too generous with the opponent when he attacks it’s difficult for us to prevent the opponent from building any chances.
In the last game the opponent had six chances to score and scored three goals.
And among the six chances to score they had we had a contribution that made it easier for the opponent to attack.
Apparently there is a space for criticism in this, but I don’t think so. I think when the style demands that when you move the ball from your keeper to the other box the possibility of losing the ball is inherent to this game., SO the player is faithful to the style the head coach proposes.
That’s why I can’t say the players are responsible..
There is an aspect where we’re growing. It’s the mental fact of accepting our own mistakes or not reaching what we’re looking for.
When we create mistakes, from a mental point of view our team feels it. And when we play 30 mins as we played the last game and we don’t score, it has a mental impact on our team.
So the mental response of our players regarding the ups and downs of the game, this is the responsibility of the head coach.
Take into account these facts.
The last game was one of the games we ran the most. We had the possession of the ball,clearly. We dominated the game, too. We created more chances to score than the opponent. The individual performance of the team was good enough.
So what kind of criticism could I make to the players? I can’t criticise anything.
And if I don’t have any basis to criticise the players, it’s normal that I take responsibility.
I spent so much time on some answers because I don’t want what I say to be put down the wrong way.
There is a habit that many head coaches around the world have, not only in England, but in countries where I understand what the head coaches say. There is a very common sentence. Usually they say they are responsibility for the negative cycle. If we don’t explain why, we enduce the listeners to reach the opposite conclusion of what we’re saying.
In realty, they say they;re responsible, but don’t convince the audience if they don’t say why, so the audience is invited to transfer it to the players.
I don’t have any doubt that your questions are always full of good questions. But the meaning of the question, as my answer was long, maybe we forget was to describe the responsibility of the players. Are they mature enough to do this? Honestly I think it’s my responsibility.
The last game had 3 segments. The first half hour, beautiful football and the last 15 minutes of the first half, the goal had an impact on our confidence. And at the beginning fo the second half I made changes and the team didn’t improve - they got worse, so my implication did not have the result I wanted. As the decision i took didn’t have the result, so I cam clearly responsible. Because the first half was good and I made changes and it became worse. So I’m doing self-criticism but with factual basis. But I like to be precise.
For me the first 25 mins of the second half were very important. Because in spite of not being able to build one chance to score we played in the opponents half and we didn’t conceded any counter attacks.
To sum up this moment, we knew how to play bad. To learn had to play bad means you can’t impose your style, but can prevent the opponent from building attacks. In the last 20 minutes, from my humble point of view we were getting the fruits from all our efforts we made in the first 25 mintues without having any chances to score.
And we played well again, created five chances to score and scored one goal and in the middle of this 20 mins, the opponent scored the third goal. But if you look at the last minutes of this game, the effort made by the team was moving. They kept running as if it was 0-0.
And they produced beautiful football, created chances and the team overcame the humiliation of losing 0-3 at home.
That’s why I wold like to make it clear, that the responsibility I am assuming is a true responsibility and I don’t think the players are responsible .
The day I assume the players are responsible, I wouldn’t tell you.
Is pressure starting to play a part in the season now?
I don’t think so. Because we play all the games with the same style.
The games we are playing have two models.
It’s when we strengthen what we deserve or we don’t strengthen what we deserve.
For example you have a few games like the West Brom one. I am finding out the criteria I am using to analysis, are not overwhelming shared by others.
I don;t think that the feeling I have after the loss against Norwich everyone has. But I’m sure of one thing - I can defend my point of view and if you want to make analysis of football you have to analyse what you do and don’t deserve.
You don’t need to make any analysis if you base it on the result. The point is that when you are in a negative cycle, any analysis that you make is seen as a justification, not a true analysis. That’s why sometimes I’m ashamed to explain all these things. Because many listeners think he is looking for justifications. Because among human beings there is the dogma of winning at all costs.
It’s a lot easier to give importance to the win than to not take into consideration into analysis.
Does naming your XI in advance help the opposition?
For me it’s not important all.
What are you expecting from Boro?
If I had to chose which was the hardest game we’ve played so far with frictions, the one that presented the most difficult physical challenges, I wold say it’s the one against MIddlesbrough. And I think this will be the trend on Saturday.
What will you change from that first fixture?
Nothing has changed.
We were not surprised by the way Middlesbrough played in the first game. W knew they would play this kind of game and in the duel of styles, Boro win. Because they didn’t play better than us, they didn’t have the ball, but they had more chances to score than us.
They prevented us from playing and being faithful to their method they were able to create chances. It was one of the few games we deserved to lose, it was a draw.
QPR rearrangement means three games in a week - problem?
No. You can’t find excuses. The idea when you have a game to play, you play it, you win it. Three games in six days is a difficulty to assume. Every game we run more. More than when we need. So far the games we lost, it’s not because we lacked courage or determination but the thing is you have elements that break conclusions. And the role of the media is to offer conclusions.
And if in this cycle we played the best game of the season, which was against Derby County, we have to take into account these details to evaluate the state of the team.
We can’t say that in this cycle we have this negative aspect and we have a game where the opposite happened.
How serious are the Forshaw, Klich, Pablo injuries?
Not serious because they have the possibility to play.
But I never put a player who is n doubt on the pitch. I never push a player to play. I only put him in the team if he’s 100% available to play.
That's all from Bielsa
-
Pressekonferansene til El Loco er fantastiske!
-
Angående å offentliggjøre laget før kampstart så har nok de høye herrer i klubben sagt noe om dette til Bielsa. Jeg tviler på at både Pablo, Klich og Forshaw er tvilsomme! Bielsa sier vel at Shackleton spiller. Da kan vi jo regne med at Pablo er den som er lengst unna en start.
Jeg tror at vi i fremtiden vil se mer tåkeprat om lagoppstillingen. Vi får se hvor Bielsa hopper...
-
Klarer noen å legge inn teksten fra denne?
Før Swansea, hjemme:
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-united-v-swansea-city-press-conference-live-blog-1-9589625/amp?__twitter_impression=true
-
Klarer noen å legge inn teksten fra denne?
Før Swansea, hjemme:
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-united-v-swansea-city-press-conference-live-blog-1-9589625/amp?__twitter_impression=true
Phil Hay
Bielsa's press conference starting now. Update on Jack Clarke's health: "He is under observation. We're doing some more evaluation to see what happened and we all feel relieved." #lufc
Bielsa on the late, late goal at Middlesbrough: "When you don't lose it always improves your mental spirit. But it's not only about the final result. It's about analysing the game. In that sense the conclusions are positive ones."
Bielsa talking about Gordon Banks, who has died today: "He is the glory of English football. He's also the glory of global football. He's among the best goalkeepers in history. That's only a small group when we talk about the best ones. This defines Gordon Banks." #lufc
Forshaw won't be ready for tomorrow's game. The only change will be Hernandez in for Clarke. "The situation with Adam didn't evolve as we thought it would so he won't be in the group tomorrow." #lufc
On Forshaw's injury: "We think it's not that serious. We hope he'll be available in about 10 days."
Izzy Brown will be in the squad tomorrow, having featured for the U23s today. #lufc
A big vote of confidence from Bielsa for Luke Ayling. Says he thinks he's dropped off slightly in an attacking sense but is still very happy with his performances and feels he's more than worth his place in the team. #lufc
Bielsa talking up Swansea. Says they've got more potential than they've shown so far and he likes the way they play. He's expecting them to counter-attack. #lufc
Berardi and Dallas will be used in the next two U23s game and then considered for the first team if they come through those. Barry Douglas should be back sooner than that (but isn't fit for tomorrow). #lufc
Bielsa on the promotion race: "We all agree with the fact that in the Championship we don't have any easy games. We know it's difficult to have good results. You don't win many games with a huge difference in the score. It's very difficult to draw conclusions." #lufc
-
Hmmmm. Merkelig.
«A big vote of confidence from Bielsa for Luke Ayling. Says he thinks he's dropped of slightly in an attacking sense but is still very happy with his performances and feels he's more than worth his place in the team. #lufc»
Dette er jo det motsatte av hva Bielsa ble sitert på i Luke Ayling tråden der Bielsa mente at Ayling var svakere defensivt enn tidligere.
«The only thing that has decreased a bit is his defensive impact.»
???
-
Klarer noen å legge inn teksten fra denne?
Før Swansea, hjemme:
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-united-v-swansea-city-press-conference-live-blog-1-9589625/amp?__twitter_impression=true
Der var den:
13:13
Injury latest on Berardi
BIelsa says Berardi and Dallas will play the next two under-23s games.
That’s all from him now.
13:12
How difficult to assess the promotion race?
We all agree with the fact that Championship there are no easy games.
And we know that’s it’s difficult to have continuity.
You don’t win many games with a huge difference in the score.
We’re not sure either if the teams at the top of the table are going to beat the teams at the bottom.
All those who analyse the results of the Championship know that each game is important. And it’s very difficult to draw conclusions.
13:07
Are Swansea a better side than their league position suggests?
For me Swansea is a big team. It’s a team that hasn;t used its full potential so far. It’s a team that has a counter-culture.
They have players very good with the ball. And I like how Swansea play.
13:06
On the players fitness work
It’s not convenient to be overweight . But it’s not the only aspect that decides the physical performance. THe quality of the training sessions is obviously also important and the professionalism of the player is more important that the quality of the training session, because you need rest to get a good psychical performance. The thing that makes you have a better physical performance is the character, the personality. And if we make a mix of these three aspects, the most important one is the personality and the natural skills. Second is the professionalism and the third one is the quality of the training sessions.
13:03
On Luke Ayling's form
For me Bill Ayling is a great player. A complete player. When I say complete I mean he can manage all the aspects of the game.
He can defend as a full-back, as a centre-back. He has an aerial game that is not very common for full-backs. And if we divide the pitch into three segments on the right hand side of the pitch, he defends well, he is very well in playing out, he takes risks when we have to organise and use the ball and the only thing that decreased a little bit is his defensive impact.
He usually gets a grade about 7 points and now he’s getting a grade of over 6 points..
The thing we can’t do is to look at everything, so we divide and we command only the last games. THe only thing I can tell about Bill Ayling, that he contribute a little less in attack and usually he was getting a grade of more than 7, now it’s more than 6.
But for me he’s a very important player for the team. He is a player that is an example for his team-mates, the public, the fans and in football you have very few players who don’t have ups and downs.
And when Bill has less impact, he’s always has more than 6 points. Even in his downs he’s over 6 points.
Maybe I’m not objective. Because I have a very special respect for him, for what he gives to the tea. Because he always assumes risks. And because he’s influenced for this feature that I admire him. Obviously he’s better than what you think.
12:58
On struggles to score first
We all try to find explanations to this. You, the media and us. Nobody wants to concede the first goal.
There’s a price that we are not willing to play.
If we only focused on the fact to prevent the opponent from scoring a goal we would be doing something in the way you are proposing. If we share the energy between creating and defending the possibility for the opponent to score a goal is higher. This is scientific, mathematical analysis. But from a football point of view if you dominate you have more chances to score and more chances not to concede.
What is true is that usually we conceded one of less goals per game but now we concede more than one goal per game.
And with a specificity is that our team always contributes to the goal scored by the opponent. But it’s not very fair to say it’s a contribution.
But you have actions of danger or situatuons that depend exclusively on the team that is attacking and you have others that are made easier by the team that is defending. When you make it easier for the opponent to attack it’s when you make a mistake. But the mistake is part of football. If there’s something that you can’t ask to a football player, you can’t tell them ‘take risks but you can’t make a mistake.’
The best ones take risks and don’t make mistakes. They are very few. If you tell a player takes risks but don’t make a mistake, the player has one solution - not to take risks.
And if you don’t take risks in football games, the game becomes less attractive.
And then the capacity of winning decreases. You always compare yourself to the opponent.
If the only comparison we make is which team is not making mistakes when two teams with the goal of not making a mistake the game is not attractive.
12:52
Brown in your squad?
Yes, he will be with the group tomorrow,
12:52
Forshaw might be available - is that the case?
Forshaw won’t play tomorrow.
Casilla, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Alioski, Phillps, Roofe, Pablo, Bamford, Harrison will be the starting XI.
We think Forshaw’s injury is not that serious but the fact that he missed two games we have to take this reality into account. And we have more days after the game against Swansea, so we hope he’ll be available in about 10 days.
12:50
What are your memories of Gordon Banks?
He’s a glory of English football. And he’s also a glory of world football. He’s among the best goalkeepers of history and it’s a small group when you talk about the best ones. All these real facts define who was Gordon Banks.
12:49
How much did the late goal at Boro give everyone a lift?
When you don’t lose it always improves your mental spirit.
But it’s not only about the final result, not losing but it’s also about analysing the game. To evaluate what kind of responses we were able to give.
And in that sense the conclusions are positive ones.
12:48
Jack Clarke update
He’s under observation. We’re doing some more exams to see what happened and we all feel relieved.
12:47
Bielsa's here...
Let’s see what he has to say...
-
Meiner han har gjort det same tidlegare óg ved ein anledning - altså å kalle Luke Ayling for Bill Ayling? ;D ;D
-
Meiner han har gjort det same tidlegare óg ved ein anledning - altså å kalle Luke Ayling for Bill Ayling? ;D ;D
Luke har blitt kalt Bill i mange, mange år.. :)
-
Meiner han har gjort det same tidlegare óg ved ein anledning - altså å kalle Luke Ayling for Bill Ayling? ;D ;D
Luke har blitt kalt Bill i mange, mange år.. :)
Er han en del av det kjente radarparet Bill Ayling & Luke Clinton?
-
Meiner han har gjort det same tidlegare óg ved ein anledning - altså å kalle Luke Ayling for Bill Ayling? ;D ;D
Luke har blitt kalt Bill i mange, mange år.. :)
Er han en del av det kjente radarparet Bill Ayling & Luke Clinton?
Gratulerer, du er herved sertifisert pappavitser! ;D ;D
-
Meiner han har gjort det same tidlegare óg ved ein anledning - altså å kalle Luke Ayling for Bill Ayling? ;D ;D
Luke har blitt kalt Bill i mange, mange år.. :)
...fikk vel navnet i Arsenaltiden.
-
Meiner han har gjort det same tidlegare óg ved ein anledning - altså å kalle Luke Ayling for Bill Ayling? ;D ;D
Luke har blitt kalt Bill i mange, mange år.. :)
Er han en del av det kjente radarparet Bill Ayling & Luke Clinton?
Gratulerer, du er herved sertifisert pappavitser! ;D ;D
Liker å tenke mer på det som sertifisert Jon Herwig Carlsen vitser. ;D
-
"Casilla, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Alioski, Phillps, Roofe, Pablo, Bamford, Harrison will be the starting XI."
Hm, Bielsa som begynner å miste grepet, referenten som slurver eller jeg som ikke kan telle? Syntes det ser litt tynt ut.
-
Meiner han har gjort det same tidlegare óg ved ein anledning - altså å kalle Luke Ayling for Bill Ayling? ;D ;D
Luke har blitt kalt Bill i mange, mange år.. :)
...fikk vel navnet i Arsenaltiden.
stemmer, i akademitiden der..
-
"Casilla, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Alioski, Phillps, Roofe, Pablo, Bamford, Harrison will be the starting XI."
Hm, Bielsa som begynner å miste grepet, referenten som slurver eller jeg som ikke kan telle? Syntes det ser litt tynt ut.
de har vel glemt Klich..
-
"Casilla, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Alioski, Phillps, Roofe, Pablo, Bamford, Harrison will be the starting XI."
Hm, Bielsa som begynner å miste grepet, referenten som slurver eller jeg som ikke kan telle? Syntes det ser litt tynt ut.
de har vel glemt Klich..
...it could be 20 yards or 30 yards...
..Klich is scoring goals...
...40 yards or 50 yards... ;D ;D ;D
-
Legger inn før Bolton, hjemme, her også:
Beren Cross
Good afternoon
Sit tight. We’re waiting on the main man from 1.30pm.
Bielsa's here
First question imminent.
Spygate judgement - pleased?
Yes I am happy it’s over.
Jack Clarke?
He is not available yet. One change is Roberts for Roofe.
Roofe latest - how long?
We don’t have a final date for his return. It will be between four and eight weeks.
Izzy Brown - how long?
He is making constantly positive steps and we have to link his improvements to the needs of the team to see when he will start.
Bolton - thoughts?
It’s very difficult to confirm in the games the differences you find in the table. If we look at the table we could think Birmingham couldn’t lost to Bolton and Bolton won. You have opposite examples too. The norm in the Championship is you won’t have easy wins for anyone.
Changes in Bolton since winning there?
I have a global idea of the Bolton team, but it’s not that detailed to make any comparison between the team two months ago and now.
Importance of Saturday with rivals winning?
In any case it’s important for us to get points. The final games we have to play are very important, each of it. We don’t feel obliged because the rivals have positive results. We don’t feel we don’t have the duty to win when the rivals don’t win their games. All the points at stake will have significant importance.
Douglas and Forshaw?
Douglas tomorrow with the under-23s. It’s his final step before getting back to the group if everything goes well. That’s not the case for Adam Forshaw yet.
His injury will need more time. It will be hard for him to come back in the next two games, the same thing for Clarke and Roofe.
Bamford progress - pleased?
When you have been absent for such a long time you need time to develop your sports performance. He’s making constantly positive steps to reach his best level.
Big expectations for Saturday - unrealistic in the Championship?
The expectancy is due to the fact Norwich beat Bolton 4-0. We are focused on winning, first that’s our goal. Then we are focused on deserving to win and then we will try to make the most importance difference possible.
This is our idea for this game. I couldn’t make any opinion on winning convincingly or not.
Benefit of 10-day break?
It all depends on the next three results. If everything goes well we will say the break was a good one. If it goes wrong we will say the break stopped the development of the team. We always have explanations for everything. The difficult thing is to find the right explanation beforehand.
Good rest?
I never get tired.
Enjoy this part of the season?
Of course. The axis of our profession is the competition. When the consequences of the competitions are final it’s when we are more happy.
Feel responsibility for the fans' expectations of promotion?
The expectancies of the fans are legitimate. We know what a fan feels thinking about the possibility of promotion. We have the same hopes as the fans. First of all, because we desire the same thing as them. Second because we assume we represent the feeling of people and this has to boost our strength.
Difficult living with that responsibility?
I never need external support to increase my desire my team needs.
This season going to last game?
It’s very difficult to focus on what has not happened yet because, among other reasons, one of the things making football most attractive in the world is because it is possible the team doesn’t deserve to win actually wins. If you want to estimate the results of eight teams it’s very difficult. If you add to that the fact you can’t make a logical analysis because it can happen the teams that wins is not the best one. Taking into account this it’s impossible.
Leeds unknown in South America but followed since Bielsa's appointment - still loved in Chile - what do you make of this love?
The only thing I can say is as a maximum goal we all have the aspiration to be loved. This is common for all human beings and I love Chile. I felt loved by the Chilean people. I never forget how admirable are the people who built Chile everyday.
How easy has it been to get to the heart of English players?
All the opposite. The English players have developed their capacity to respond to emotional solicitations. I’m talking about our group, our team. You are asking me about English players and I can only talk about my team.
Guillem Balague is here - how do you do what you do and why?
People who work in football are overestimated. It’s not only because many people are interested in it because you have many important things that interest only a few people and you have things without value that interest a lot of people.
The most significant thing in football is the love of fans for the club. The identification of many around something which allows them to gather together and express themselves. We live in an individualist society and the fact we have something to unite people and when you have the possibility to participate in this, from privilege, unfair it’s privileged, it’s something people desire.
It’s a privilege to be a participant in this.
Can you judge what you have given to Leeds the club and city?
There are some questions that invite you to give a demagogic answer. When you have the privilege of playing every two weeks in front of 35,000 fans it is something you can only thank and feel gratitude.
How does he deal with the journey and enjoyment of the process?
In English football, traditionally, you always have the time to develop your idea because the time allows you to get the best final result. This is culture in today’s word. Nobody expects, nowadays, has the patience to see the positive things you’ve done before and people always expect positive things.
I’ve read an article in El Pais weekly. I don’t remember the author. It’s a thinker. This person with a lot of culture talks about this subject in an extraordinary manner. The example of Real Madrid. Real Madrid, out of the last five Champions Leagues, they have won four and the last was just some months ago.
Even in this case, when you have four out of five Champions Leagues and the team stops winning there is a crisis. The person who gave something, instead of gratitude, develops the obligation of having to win constantly.
This article puts another admirable example. Some time ago, when you make a favour to someone, you felt you could feel the gratitude of the person receiving the favour. Now, instead of gratitude towards the giver, people think they have the right to ask for another favour again and again.
For me, it’s easy to make a link between these thoughts and your question. If you don’t make a link between the final result and the path you choose, not making the link between the result and the path is the only way to survive in this profession.
Those who value public results reject this. Those who value public results, either they praise the good things or they condemn, with strength, the bad things. This article also gives another example that is extraordinary.
I like talking about this. Now you see the novels are something fancy and a renowned author who made a series on TV instead of getting gratitude is being asked to make the next season. As if it was easy for Pep Guardiola to build the team of Barca and forget the goal every three years.
Why don't you do one-to-ones with the media?
As I can’t tell the truth I prefer not to give an answer.
All over
That’s it from Bielsa. Another of those 45-minute epics.
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/marcelo-bielsa-press-conference-live-15864922
-
Matt Bellair
Bielsa asking where @apopey is before the press conference began. Man does not miss a trick #lufc
-
Ingen pressekonferanse før qpr?
-
Ingen pressekonferanse før qpr?
https://www.leedsunited.com/video/107584/press-conference-qpr-a
-
Ingen pressekonferanse før qpr?
Ingen i tillegg til den som det refereres fra to innlegg over ditt, nei.
-
Før QPR borte i hengekamp:
Stjeler denne fra Auren:
Bielsa on specific
The day after the game it is very difficult to do work. The day before is the same thing. But we had a close look at both the offensive and defensive play of the team.
Bielsa on FA Cup clash with QPR
Both teams won't play with the same players tomorrow. I think both teams will be faithful to their styles.
Clarke and Forshaw latest?
Clarke has to follow a pre-established protocol. Forshaw is making the steps to try and get back with the group.
Bielsa on promotion
It's a big hope that we have. This hope becomes bigger and bigger when you see how the fans are hoping to reach the goal.
Bielsa on Sheffield Utd and Norwich?
What they have developed and shown so far makes them deserve the place they are occupying in the Championship.
Important to go back top?
I think that from now on all of the games are very important. They will all have heavy consequences.
Bielsa on his future
The head coach stay or leave depending on the conclusion of whether we fulfilled the goals. We then take a decision from that.
QPR - what qualities?
It's a very clear style. It's a team that knows how they play with it. They know how to impose their skills. And definitely it is not going to be an easy game tomorrow, they're an experienced team and it will be a very demanding game.
QPR - lost seven in a row?
They can have a positive reaction or they can stay in the same negative cycle. We will try to influence the events so we can get the best result for us. We have to analyse each game of the opponent that there is a very small difference between a win and a loss.
Same starting line-up?
It will be the same starting line-up. Berardi and Douglas are among the 18.
-
Før WBA hjemme:
He's here...
Let’s see what Marcelo Bielsa has to say.
Short week- how hard does that make preparations?
After the loss against QPR the fact that we are playing right after against West Brom doesn’t make it difficult. It’s the opposite.
Team news - does the games in succession make it hard?
No it’s not a problem to play three games in six day.
West Brom's threat
It;s another kind of opponent. An opponent that will play against us and this rival has the same conditions as us.
What are West Brom's strengths?
West Brom’s main skills are the quantity and quality of the offensive players.
What did you learn from the defeat in November? Or is this a different game?
It’s difficult to say if it’s going to be a smiliar game. Hopefully we will have another result and we will try to be better than the opponent. That was not the case in the first game.
How important is home advantage?
All the games are important, this one as well, and the fans have always come to the stadium.
And for us each game has capital importance.
Can the fans make a difference in these big games?
The fans always have a positive impact in the performance of the team.
The value of that is that what we do has an impact on their emotions and we always receive a postivie response when we make effort and we felt followed by the fans when we face adversity.
Without their support we wouldn’t be the team we are.
What have you done to lift your spirits from Tuesday night when you looked very deflated?
It’s an obligation in my profession to overcome the sadness and the hope of the next game is a good recipe for that.
And it’s completely natural to be sad after a loss. What is strange is when you’re not sad after a loss.
And to be full of hope when you are playing another game soon is also natural.
And it’s not advisable to think about the bad things and not think about the good things that are going to come.
Do you feel some people react disproportionately to defeat?
Maybe I didn’t explain myself well.
For me a win or loss is very important. Both things are very important. What I mean is that in order to draw an analysis we cannot just focus on the result.
The results are absolutely important but the result is not enough to explain a game.
And regarding the importance we give to a loss, it’s something common to teams who have a huge impact on people as is the case with Leeds.
When a win produces so much happiness it goes with a disappointment when the team loses.
And when a team goes though moments of frustration, it’s normal that we see a warning sign when we don’t make a step forward.
And our obligation is to make steps forward and neutralise the anxiety of the public.
Clarke available this weekend?
No.
How important is the situation at the top of the table going into the game?
It’s a right analysis and the loss was not an expected one.
When you see the glass is half empty you lose optimism and when you see the glass as half-full you lose self criticism.
And we need to have coordination between self-cricticsm and optimism.
We don’t ignore the advantage of our position in the table and we know we have to keep the advantages we have.
Have can you increase your conversion rate from chances?
You can’t train the efficiency. But you can train the capacity to create chances to score.
For me the fact that the team always deserves to score has huge value.
I am happy when we score goals because we deserve to score goals.
And I don’t make any conclusion when there is no correlation between the number of chances and the goals or when it’s the opposite.
Team news for WBA?
It will be the same starting XI and bench.
How would this Leeds side do in the Premier League?
I couldn’t answer this question because there are so many conditions that I cannot solve today. Any answer I give you wouldn’t have a substantial basis. But it’s not a basic question that you’re answering.
I was wondering if visualising your team in the Premier League is part of the process of winning promotion?
There is a principle that we all apply when we educate and raise our kids. We tell them not to spend what they don’t have. So I behave like that in this case,
That's all from Bielsa
Interesting as ever,
Pablo Hernandez up shortly.
-
Før Bristol City, borte:
Promotion, player relationships, VAR - 5 key takeaways from Marcelo Bielsa's press conference - Leeds Live
Marcelo Bielsa was on press conference duty on Thursday lunchtime as the Leeds United head coach gave his take on Saturday's trip to Bristol City.
The lengthy briefing touched on a number of subjects from the usual team news and injuries, to his thoughts on promotion, reacting to the win over West Brom and the relationship he has with his squad.
Here are the main talking points from the Thorp Arch session...
Bielsa is not dwelling on West Brom win
This is the first time that Bielsa has spoken since Friday night's emphatic win over West Brom, but as you'd expect, the Leeds head coach has not been basking in the 4-0 victory over their promotion rivals.
"It’s a game we have already played and the more time we spend on a game we’ve played the less we spend on the next game and the next is always the most important," was his typically Bielsaian take on the victory.
Leeds put in one of their best performance of the season last time out(Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
"Of course, the analysis I make about the last game is similar to those made by the observers and analysts."
The question was then put to him as to whether this should be his side's new standard.
"It’s not the decision you take to play very well," he replied. "You try to play very well. With these efforts, the player finds the right state of mind to use all his skills and we wish to have the same state of mind again.
"To try to do the maximum everyone is capable of. Now it’s easy to say we want to play all the games as I played the last one."
All eyes will now be on how his side look to build on this momentum.
VAR and the 'difficulties' of being a referee
After Manchester United's last-gasp progression in the Champions League last night, the issue of VAR is front and centre of the British media today.
While there are no plans to introduce it to the Championship, it will be used in the Premier League next season and Bielsa was asked for his take on the system in its current guise.
Bielsa says referees have a hard job(Image: Simon Cooper/PA Wire)
"I don’t think my opinion is important. Those who evaluate the VAR, if it is convenient or not, those who propose this take into account many factors of the game.
"It won’t be my responsibility to express an opinion without knowledge. I can give an example of being in football all my life and I found the ball can be outside the pitch and inside the pitch. The basis in the game with Real Madrid, the ball was outside the pitch, but the projection of the line on the ball we saw 2cm of the ball were on the line.
"We all thought the ball was out as the basis of the ball was outside the line, but it’s not like that. This shows how difficult it is to be a referee. It’s that difficult we all make an opinion, judge the referees and we don’t even know the rules."
Marcelo Bielsa on the 'human relationships' that underpin his work at Leeds United
What promotion would mean to him
The Leeds press pack soon learned not to press Bielsa too hard on promotion given his early season statements on the difficulties of trying to predict football matches.
But as we enter the final two months of the season the issue is still very much on the horizon and Bielsa was asked what promotion would mean to him. And as ever, he deferred to the fans.
Marcelo Bielsa paid tribute to the fans
"Of course it would [make me] proud. It’s not a goal that is easy to reach or a common goal. You evaluate the goals, the successes according to the impact they have on people and I take advantage of this question to make a comment on something.
"This is linked to the fans. Those who are behind a goal and they are always feeling emotion, they have an intuition of what happens in the opposite area because they cant see it clearly because of their position.
"If we evaluate the effective involvement of someone who can’t see clearly the game, and in spite of that the fans who are behind the areas have an important involvement with the team, we see what is the real involvement means.
"We do this job for many reasons and the most important thing is the happiness we can bring to those who find it harder to find happiness outside football. You have spectators that go to the stadium to watch a game, as they would a theatre and it’s a good thing too, we’re lucky we have people like that, but I’m more moved by the one who suffers for the team even if he can’t see.
His relationship with his players
Given the quickfire schedule of games and other talking points, it's been a few weeks since we last got a real insight into some of Bielsa's own personal philosophies.
But when asked about the satisfaction he takes from coaching, we were treated to a fascinating answer.
Marcelo Bielsa prefers not to get too close to his players(Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
"Human relationships," he stated. "If human relationships are satisfactory, which means to love and being loved to respect and being respected, this is more important than winning and success.
"When you work with groups that are successful, we talk mainly about the human part of it, we don’t remember the game, we remember the behaviours, the anecdotes. We remember those we learned to admire, how to admire.
"Or others we didn’t admire that much."
And that begged the question, how close is he to his squad? In last week's excellent BBC 5Live documentary the likes of Patrick Bamford said that the Argentine keeps his distance from his players. And Bielsa had an answer for that.
"To answer your question, I love my players.
"Because if I don’t love the players it’s difficult for me to do my job well. The closer someone is to us, the better he gets to know us. And it’s sometimes better to keep the affection linked if we don’t see the other too close.
"If the players were closer to me, they would respect me less because they would see how I am really. It doesn’t mean I’m acting any behaviour but it’s better for them to see me from a certain distance than to see me closer.
"Because my goal is to maintain the relationship between 20 players that are looking for the same thing. In professional football the importance regarding the behaviour are very important. Sometimes when you criticise a player you have better results than when you praise him.
"That’s why the work of managing people is an art."
Injuries
As usual, Bielsa gave us his starting XI and unsurprisingly the side that swept aside West Brom on Friday all keep their places.
But injury-wise there was encouraging news regarding Jack Clarke, who has returned to training this week and is set to play for the under-23s next week.
"He is well, he’s fit," said Bielsa "He will play next week for the under-23s. Probably will be able after this game to be in the main group."
Jack Clarke is nearing a return to action(Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
The under-23s are in action on Monday and Thursday night next week, so we will keep our eyes peeled.
Bielsa also admitted that Adam Forshaw's return from injury has been slower than hoped, but the midfielder is heading in the right direction.
"[He is] making slow progress, slower than we thought," Bielsa said. "We think he is close to his problem being over and we will rely on him soon. His recovery lasts longer than what he thought. We thought it would be faster, but the fact it’s taking longer is a basis for him to come back in better condition."
We know that Kemar Roofe will be sidelined a while longer and Bielsa said that while there is no comeback date in mind, Roofe is 'working very hard and he is very serious in his work.'
-
Ikke noen pressekonferanse idag?
-
Ikke noen pressekonferanse idag?
36 sek....
-
Ikke noen pressekonferanse idag?
36 sek....
...hadde vært morsommere om du hadde postet det 36 sek. FØR Promo :D
-
Syns vi bør ta med Marcelos kommentarer om fansen også. :)
1) De ordentlige fansen som står bak målene og ikke engang får med seg skikkelig det som skjer
2) ….oooog de som kommer der og ser på en fotballkamp slik som de går på teateret eller en klassisk konsert (hahah, LOL), slike fans respektere han også ;)
Jeg lar Daniel Chapman skrive det for oss: :)
The main part of Bielsa’s discourse today was about the importance of the fans, a riff he embarked on after Phil Hay asked if promotion with Leeds was a personal motivation for taking the job, and whether achieving it would be a personal satisfaction.
"Of course I would be proud," said Bielsa.
"It's not a goal that is easy to reach or a common goal. You evaluate the goals, the successes according to the impact and the emotion they have on people and I take advantage of this question to make a comment on something that drew my attention."
I’ll paraphrase his point, because Salim looked sounded like he was struggling a bit with all this today, but Bielsa talked about the fans behind the goals who "feel emotion all the time" even though they can’t clearly see what’s happening all over the pitch. In them, he says, "we see what the real involvement means."
"We do this job for many reasons, and the most important thing is the happiness we can bring to those
who have more difficulties to find happiness in all the moments that are not football."
I mean that right there is the quote that puts Bielsa in beautiful opposition to almost everybody else in top level professional football.
Back with the fans behind the goal, he said the fans who go to watch a game as they would go to theatre do a good thing too,
"...but I'm more moved by the one who suffers for the team even if he's in a position of the stadium where he can't see the full game ... I think as football has become an industry it has become worse in all meanings. And the only one that hasn't become worse is the one who loves the club. And we don't praise the fans enough."
-
Her er selve pressekonferansen i sin helhet:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p072wd9f
:)
-
Før Reading, borte:
Defensive improvement, injuries, Reading preview - Marcelo Bielsa press conference full transcript - Leeds Live
Marcelo Bielsa faced the media on Monday lunchtime ahead of Tuesday night's trip to Reading.
Leeds United take on the Royals off the back of another win, with the 1-0 victory over Bristol City on Saturday seeing them return to second spot in the table.
Here is every question and answer from the Thorp Arch press conference.
Another win at the weekend - four out of five, coming after a period of pressure. What has pleased you most about this run?
We just won by one goal difference.
In the last minutes of the game the opponent was close to our box and we couldn’t prevent the opponent from playing close to our box.
Leeds have won four of their last five
But we could manage well these minutes without conceding any dangerous chances to the opponent.
How pleased are you with the string of results you've put together?
Yes, I think that the results arrived at the right moment. But the most important thing is not what happened in the past but is what is going to happen in the near future.
What are you expecting from Reading?
The potential of the team is higher than the position they have in the table. The offensive players are fast, the midfielders are good.
Strong physical defence and they use the ball well.
Is Patrick Bamford fit for the match?
Bamford hurt his knee scoring the winner
Yes. It is the same group and the same starting XI.
How pleased were you with what you saw from Berardi when he came on on Saturday?
Yes, because Gaetano Berardi always makes the observers satisfied.
Is there any talk about the possibility of going back to the top of the league tomorrow night or is that something you don't think about right now?
Bielsa is focused on Reading
I am focused on winning the game tomorrow and I don’t take into account the possible consequences of a win.
Our first goal is to win the game then we will occupy the position that our result and the other results will allow us.
You'll be aware of the incident with a fan coming on the pitch at Aston Villa yesterday- You've managed in South America and in Europe where fans are passionate. Is this a problem do you think and how do you resolve it?
You find violent people everywhere in each country and in all activities.
You have more or less violent acts depending on how satisfied or unsatisfied are the citizens.
And it also depends on how important are the leisure activities are for them.
A person that does the thing we saw yesterday expresses a series of frustrations that are not necessarily linked to the football because the more satisfied you are with your personal life, the less you need to do these kind of acts.
Jack Grealish was punched by a fan during the second city derby
And then we have a series of norms to try and have things happen in a civilised way.
If we have just one case like that per year it’s an excellent proportion. Of course, we wish we had none, but the fact we only have one is a good indicator.
Are you expecting Jack Clarke to play both under-23s games this week?
He will play in the one today.
And then we’ll see how he feels after the game and see if he plays on Thursday.
On Liam Cooper - you said the players chose the captain and he's just played his 100th game as captain. In your opinion what are his qualities as a captain?
The fact the he represents his teammates is by itself a virtue.
It’s not up to me to describe the virtues the players recognised in him when they chose him, but I can tell you what I'm impressed about.
You can't find a better professional than him. He feels love from his profession apart from the fact it’s his job.
Saturday was a landmark occasion for Cooper
He is generous and prioritises the needs of his teammates before his own needs.
He’s always willing to help the others rather than asking for help.
He is always very present in times of adversity and he is very discreet when the team is successful. He doesn’t like the notoriety.
In terms of ability, do you think he's improved as a player this season?
The skills that he is showing now this season are the same ones that I saw last season.
With regards to that, the partnership between Cooper and Jansson was not your first choice one this season, but how impressed are you with how they've been playing together?
From an individual point of view they are playing at a very high level, both of them.
And they are two players with many skills and skilled players don’t have problems playing with each other.
And when Gaetano Berardi had to play with one another we had the same efficiency.
And when Bill Ayling and Kalvin Phillips had to play as centre-backs they played very well too.
But it’s true they play many games together and they are the defences structure of a team that attacks a lot.
Bristol City 0-1 Leeds United
There are not a lot of players who have played in the Premier League in this squad, but do you feel there are many who are capable of doing so?
I haven’t analysed the Premier League so I’m not ready to make this kind of comparison now.
But I can tell you any player that plays for Leeds now, they could play without any problems in the two European teams that I trained for some time, Marseille and Athletic Bilboa. I can make this comparison because I know both teams.
And as I haven't analysed the Premier League I can’t give you a convinced answer.
There's a lot of attention on Saturday's game against Sheffield United - is it hard not to look ahead?
I don’t think so because the points of tomorrow’s game are very important for us.
And you never start playing a game before finishing the previous one.
And you know as observers and those working in football when you look ahead for the next game before playing the one before you never have positive consequences. And I think this is a team with enough experience to have assimilated these conclusions.
Can I check on the injured players Kemar Roofe and Adam Forshaw?
They are improving every day. And they are making the positive steps we thought they were going to make and we are following their improvement with a lot of attention.
Lewis Baker has been in good form for Reading recently - what do you make of his time at Leeds looking back?
Baker left Leeds in January(Image: Andrew Kearns/CameraSport)
I wanted him to stay in our team. I didn't agree with the fact that he left.
He didn't need my agreement to leave but in his contract he has the possibility to leave.
I always had a lot of confidence in his skills. And I couldn't express this confidence by giving him minutes of play to show my position.
But I work a lot as to when a player comes in the starting XI he doesn't go out of the starting XI.
Usually the player who plays as a starter stays as a starter. I only take decisions when I think they can be lasting descions. But I understand that in some situations you have players that can't wait. Maybe Lewis Baker had emergencies which explained why he couldn't stay with us. But the moment when he left I was feeling that he was becoming very close to becoming an important player inside the team.
But I understand his decision and his needs.
-
Før kampen mot Sheffield United:
Here he is...
Let’s see what the Leeds boss has to say..
Pontus says this is the biggest game of their lives - how big do you feel it is? And how significant would three points be?
All wins are important and none are more important than others at this point of the competition.
The analysis that shows that it’s not crucial, even if it’s not crucial it means we won;’t live it as a crucial game.
Do you get excited personally by a match like this?
Yes, of course.
Pressure bringing out the best in your players?
Taking into account the club we are in, every game is very important.
And of course we are reaching the final of this competition. Every games gets more important.
What we’ve done so far is important too. Because it allows us to be in this position now.
What have you made of Sheffield United and Chris Wilder this season?
The teams talk about the head coach they have.
Teams say a lot about the head coach they have. I’ve learned a lot about Sheffield United.
They have a new style of playing. They have been faithful to their style all season.
Each player is giving the best of himself.
ANd if you have a look at their players before this season, you see clearly the evolution. When we won against them it was a hard win and we probably didn’t deserve to win.
And for us it’s a big challenge to play against them and try to win the game.
A complement to the previous answer - our goal is compliment Sheffield United and beat them.
Any techniques to get your players to cope with the atmosphere?
You think rationally about the decisions but you get this energy to think about them through emotions.
For me the emotion that you get from big games is very important.
And our players have enough experience to manage this kind of situation.
Following your comments earlier this season, what is it about their style of play you would like to do?
I would rather answer this question after the game. I think I expressed what was my position.
And I don’t want to talk today about the nuances of the game or the opponent.
Any observer looks at them and sees a team with a different style.
Jack Clarke
He is going to play today.
We’ll see how he assimilates the game and I’ll take a decision after that.
Do you think Sheffield United will come and attack?
One of the features of Sheffield is they attack without stopping defending and defend without stopping attacking.
How important will start of game be?
Both teams have similar strengths, it doesn’t matter when you score, what matter is if you win or not.
If you score a goal sooner or later it’s important but the most important thing is if this goal allows you to win the game.
Wilder says Leeds have been best team this season - how much of a compliment is that?
I don’t like to make comments on my team.
Injuries and team news
They are evolving, They are in the final stages of their recovery but I can’t say anymore on that.
That's all from Bielsa
That’s it from BIelsa. He apologies for being late (in English), blaming Salim!
-
Før Millwall, hjemme:
En del nytt i denne pressekonferansen:
Waiting for Bielsa
Expecting a new translator today too. Salim Lamrani is away and Carlos Corberan, who is having a very good week, has stepped into the breach.
He's here
For a short time, Salim was here helping us. Then one of the winning coaches here on the staff to help us.
Big defeat last time - any concerns after dropping out of the top two?
Every game is going to be key from this moment.
How have the players reacted since the match?
The focus was preparing the game.
Goalkeeper sent off - solution?
We have full confidence in the participation of the ‘keeper. Of course after the evolution we are going towards this evolution after the game
Good to play for NI?
Very positive.
Injuries - Roofe?
Roofe is not going to be fit for Millwall, but he will be ready for the next game after that.
Jansson and Forshaw?
Both players are ready for Millwall.
Racism - your experiences?
It’s like any type of discrimination to anyone, it’s very sad for the people.
Noticed an improvement in recent years?
Now other people are seeing these facts it is more evident.
Carlos and the under-23s - how proud and pleased?
I am very happy about it, for the players, for Carlos especially because he worked to develop these players.
Klich - what suits your play from him?
The merits are now too please about the improvement in the side. Mateusz from last year continued in the club. Victor Orta selected him to be in the squad. Klich worked hard to be a part of the squad,. The previous week before the season started he was insisting trying to move out of the club because he didn’t have space in the team.
This moment the club sold Ronaldo and Forshaw was injured. Baker was with us. Klich was the fourth option for Bielsa and became the first option. With time he was a very good player. He plays in a more difficult position in football. You have to do a lot of things. A mixed midfielder, sometimes right, sometimes left, he has to close down and attack close. He has to know how to attack and defend in the middle.
Not many players can do this, Klich can. He’s in Poland’s team. He is doing everything here now because Victor brought him here. He won his own space in the squad. In the pre-season I used Klich as a centre-back, I didn’t have the right interpretation about Klich.
With this example we are watching a lot of what we do generally for everyone.
Klich wanted to leave?
Yes.
Forshaw was the best player in pre-season. Ronaldo was a talented young player in the club. Baker was the new solution for this position. In this moment we played against Las Palmas, Klich played, then I was thinking Klich was the best. Before that, I thought about moving Klich out because he would be fourth choice.
To have one player as a fourth option in one position is not the best thing because then you are keeping the player and he will not play. Unbelievable his behaviour on the pitch. When something is positive I sometimes say it is better than it is, but there are few players like Klich making so many things in the right way. A lot of players attack and defend like him, make movements like him, they can play both sides too, more in the middle or sides, of all these we have a lot of players, but bind them in the same player is so difficult.
Millwall style?
Difficult to face. They have very clear styles. They came from two important games. It’s going to be a hard game, they will use counter-attacks.
Peacock-Farrell reaction since being dropped?
We can see the improvement in the player. You can win confidence during training. He feel he is going to play the game with success.
What impact has Casilla made?
Another thing we have to solve in goal is the effect of the last loss of the team. We lose playing here at home against the two teams in front of us. It’s very important. Something I have said a lot of times, if we analyse only the result we shouldn’t talk about football.
If we talk about football we have to talk about what we produce and the merits, so the analysis of the last game, in producing things it merits a lot. You can say it was very positive. After we cannot forget about the result. For us, the support of the fans is key, but we have to deserve this support, we have to earn it. In the first half of last game the fans made the team feel together with them.
When we starting conceding efforts in the second half, the fans have a memory linking with the difficulty they are suffering from the last few years with the team. We can understand this. The fans showed these doubts from these memories. We felt that in the second half.
We depend a lot on the support of the fans. We have the responsibility to have this feeling with us. I hope in the next game we have the same atmosphere of the previous game. When we went to the pitch and felt the support in the first 35 minutes we created a good five chances.
The team built these chances because they were brilliant for the fans watching. The link between the team and the fans increased our chances. Sometimes, when we have doubts the supporters are feeling this. This is what we have to avoid.
We have to take care and control every detail. We have to keep our fans with us, close to us. We have to avoid the parts we cannot control. Some analysis you cannot do, but how we build our options, and how the opponent build options, in the last game we created double the chances of the opponent.
Seventy per cent of the time we had the ball. This is important. If you analyse how many collaborations the opponent gave us and what we gave them, you can see the opponent needed our help. Our chances didn’t depend on the opponent team.
This is to make analysis, but at the end we lost the game. We have to change the reality of losing at home. We have scored the second most goals and double the chances of every other team in the league. We have had 250 chances to score, the others have been half of this. Top teams score one in three chances, poor teams one goal in five chances, but in the lower part they created 100 chances. We created 250, so the offensive play is the best we have and if we improve our efficiency or had more luck, maybe we have 10 points or more, but this is making analysis.
The real thing is the results. To correct, to improve we have to make this analysis. This evaluation with you is what we are telling the team.
Do you need to remind the players of all these good things?
It’s important they don’t feel disappointed in one game like that one. What you can criticise is this disappointed feeling. Knowing we have 24 points to play for is positive. We didn’t lose any of our optimism. Our obligation is to play well to win the games. Try to do the things we can in football.
Before the games you can have one feeling and another after.
Any psychological advantage for Blades?
Always I feel uncomfortable looking at the table to analyse others. I am making this analysis, but I don’t want to take merit away from the other team. At the end, they came to Elland Road and won an important game. It’s difficult to think their win gives them an advantage. The thing which creates an optimistic feeling for me is every game we leave forgetting the next games we are going to play. Before any game we have to ask if we are in good conditions to win the game, then you find this answer while watching. The last message was a positive one from the team. Maybe the first 35 minutes against Sheff Utd were the best this year.
Considering what we produced and the quality of the opposition, this was good.
That's all from Bielsa
Plenty more to come this afternoon from the boss.
-
Før Birmingham, borte:
Every word Marcelo Bielsa said on Roofe, Bamford, Birmingham, promotion contenders and Brown - Leeds Live
Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa gathered with the media this afternoon ahead of the Whites trip to Birmingham City on Saturday.
The Whites head to the second city in second, with a two-point buffer in the Championship table over Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United.
As expected, Bielsa confirmed top-scorer Kemar Roofe would return to the matchday squad for the trip to St Andrew's
Here is every word and answer from the Whites boss via makeshift interpreter Carlos Corberan.
Can we start with any team news? Is Kemar Roofe available to play? Are players like Gjanni Alioski okay? Are they fit?
Roofe couldn’t play with the under-23s because this week we didn’t play the game, but he is going to be in the squad for the next game. The same with Alioski.
[Barry] Douglas is no longer with the team due to his injury. We say sorry because we are not going to have him with us. We appreciate a lot he was a very brave player in the previous game.
He had a serious injury, but he finished the game playing. That is not something that Marcelo will forget about the behaviour of Douglas in the last game.
Alioski went off against Millwall, tactical or injury?
Birmingham City vs Leeds United preview
Alioski had played two games in the international break. His physical performance, talking about the distance covered between the attack and coming back to defence, was the same as he is doing always, but he’s still one step off full speed.
For Alioski to not have these levels for us is a disadvantage for us because he needs this type of level. It was the reason why we changed the player.
At the same time, he [Bielsa] was watching a very clear improvement in Douglas, then he thought to play with Douglas could give us one solution the team needed.
Championship rumours: Leeds United identify Samuel Saiz replacement, Norwich City complete deal
Patrick Bamford said on social media he didn’t have a good game last week, have you had to do anything extra with him?
No, the work we have done with him is the normal work, but he is a very serious player who takes responsibility in all areas. He has a very strong mind. It’s true maybe he didn’t play the best game in the last game, but his level of motivation is continuing the same.
The Birmingham game at Elland Road was frustrating, will you approach it differently this time?
Birmingham, after they beat us at Elland Road, they started a long period where they showed a high level with this team.
With good strikers and wingers, they are very solid in defence. In the first game, I didn’t feel all these skills. After they showed these skills in long period after they played with us.
Tyler Roberts reacts to the defeat after the final whistle. Championship - Leeds United v Birmingham City - Saturday 22 September 2018 - Elland Road(Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
The fact they beat us is not the only reason to respect them. We respect them a lot too, because of what they have done all season.
You took off Kalvin Phillips early last time and said your tactics weren’t right, has that been on your mind?
We are playing the game in a different period of time. Then, the change was punctual reason, so I am not thinking about making any changes with Kalvin Phillips.
The key events which may shape Leeds United's promotion race this weekend
Will the top two be decided by the top three teams?
Football teaches us imagining what will happen is very difficult. One of the things of football is it is unpredictable. Imagining the future is not easy. At the same time, it is something that is not convenient because you have a very big gap of mistake.
Are West Brom[wich Albion] still in contention?
I have in mind all of the mathematics. We cannot say no it won’t happen until it’s not possible through the mathematics.
You must be delighted to have Roofe back, how difficult will it be to get him back into the team?
Cameron Carter-Vickers (left) and Kemar Roofe battle for the ball during the Championship match at Elland Road on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 between Leeds United and Swansea City(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
It is a long time playing without Roofe, that is something that is true. He couldn’t play any games to help him with the under-23s. We will see how fast he can adapt to the team and we will see this through the training with the team.
The under-23s games are a higher test, then the most important is with the first team. The only thing we have now are the dates of the training.
How excited are you to have him to come off the bench?
Roofe has shown before what he can add to the team, so for us, it’s important to have someone who can give what he can to the team.
The key figures from Leeds United's accounts and why they posted a £4.3m loss
Luke Ayling finished March with four assists and a goal, are you seeing the best of him?
After the period he came back to the first XI of the team, little by little, game by game, he was improving. Then his actual performance is a really good performance.
How’s Izzy Brown doing in training?
Izzy Brown warms up. Championship - Leeds United v Swansea City - Wednesday 13th February 2019 - Elland Road(Image: Alex Dodd/CameraSport)
Izzy Brown, last week, had a small injury. Now he has recovered from this injury. Then Izzy is one of the options that I have.
-
Før Preston borte:
Hernandez, Roofe, mental pressure - full transcript from Marcelo Bielsa's pre-Preston press conference - Leeds Live
Marcelo Bielsa spoke the media ahead of Tuesday night's trip to Preston North End as his Leeds United side look to move back into the automatic promotion places.
Leeds suffered a 1-0 defeat at Birmingham City on Saturday, while Sheffield United's win at Deepdale ensured they edged ahead of their Yorkshire rivals in the race for the second automatic promotion spot.
With Leeds playing 24 hours before the Blades visit St Andrew's, a win will send Bielsa's side back into the top two.
Here's every question and answer in full from the Leeds head coach's press conference.
Marcelo, second position has changed three times in the last three weeks, how important is it emotionally to keep things on an even keel and how important is it just to focus on the next game. From your perspective will there be more twists and turns over the rest of the season?
Leeds dropped down the third at the weekend(Image: Tim Easthope)
The illusions to be in first position or second position is a very high motivation because it’s the aim, the objective of one year of work.
And in the last part of the season we want to solve this equation.
And of course our motivation is high.
It's a quick turn around from the game at the weekend so will you make any changes? Will Pablo Hernandez be fit? And could Kemar Roofe be ready for a start?
There are possibilities that Pablo cannot play the game.
Pablo Hernandez is a doubt for Tuesday night
Roofe will go in his position if Pablo cannot play.
You play first this week before Sheffield United - is that an opportunity to load some pressure on Sheffield United?
In all the games that we are going to play from now until the end of the season they are all going to have the same condition, all of them - you have to win games.
What are you expecting from Preston? You've already played them twice this season.
It’s a different team inside the Championship because they play with a different style. The players they are using are different to the normal players.
What is the problem with Pablo and how serious is it?
He received a hit in the last minute of the previous game. His evolution today was a positive evolution. We are not going to take any risks if the game that he could make his injury worse.
Leeds United 2018/19 key stats
Is it his foot?
The ankle.
Kemar Roofe played some of the game on Saturday, how confident are you that he is ready to show the form he showed earlier in the season?
He missed a lot of time without playing. The minutes that he had in the previous game were minutes with very close space in the game.
To improve his level he has to play. We cannot verify his level in training. He has done a very high work to arrive to the game in very good physical condition.
You have to put this effort and work in on the games. But Roofe is a player who was very focused to come back into the team in his best conditions.
I get asked a lot about Ryan Edmondson - how close is he to coming into the 18-man squad?
He’s a very young player. In this moment in his position players like Roofe, Bamford, Tyler Roberts have played. There’s a very important difference, I'm talking about experience, between these three players and Ryan, but he has made a very good improvement from the beginning of the season until today.
How much do you feel the attention around the place? How much do you feel nerves at this stage of the season?
Birmingham did the double over Leeds(Image: Mick Walker/CameraSport)
I can talk about our team. I never watch the team overcome by responsibility or by nerves. This team know how to live in moments of adversity. And at the same time it's a team that keep their calm in moments of adversity.
Is there a mental aspect now for your team and everyone else? Is it as much mental as physical now?
The mind aspect is not in the opinion of the physical aspect. Both are good and can be conditioned. It's difficult that one team that is not physically ready can make a high effort only by their strong mind.
It's possible that one team which is physically ready is not able to show this if this team does not have a strong mind.
A strong mind means that you can use all of your capabilities.
Have you been impressed with their mental strength? You can judge physical abilities before you arrive, but their mental ones only after you work with them.
Sometimes the evidence talks about the team. We can verify my conclusions. You can ensure a strong mind with the capability of the team can manage adversity. At the same time you can make sure of this aspect too, about producing a team doing the things that you cannot control on football.
In these two things the team has shown to be a strong team.
-
Før Sheffield Wed:
Få spørsmål i dag!
Headache who to pick - no injuries
These types of situations are easy to solve.
Jordan Stevens - how has he impressed you?
The games with the under-23s are always a reference for him. In a previous press conference I was talking about three levels of importance: Championship, games in training and under-23s.
For the players not involved with us who have no minutes in the Championship I am very focused on them in training and with the under-23s.
What's his skillset?
He has all the necessary skills to play on the side in attack. Good quality and speed too.
Wednesday - how different under Bruce to Luhukay?
From the change of the coach they create a more stable shape and XI. They had good results. They use less players. They give a style of play in their games. The positive results are what they deserved.
Did you watch Blades?
I didn’t watch it.
Wednesday - one of the best performances of the season - how similar on Saturday?
More than the opponent, without watching the previous games, we have to win the five games left. When you have less points to win the league because there are few games left, the gap for mistakes is reduced. In football, every game anything can happen. The game of Norwich yesterday is a summary of this.
Does the timing of kick-offs make a difference?
Any of the results of our opponents make us play free or more difficult. With any result they get we have to win the games. For us, to play the games with the obligation to win is nothing new for us.
Is that why you're high in the league - because you always play to win?
You can do different interpretations of this. When one team is trying to speculate during the game and have good success, but when you try to take control... Must try to speculate more.
It means when you play to keep the result. The typical advice is to speculate more. When one team is winning by one goal and concede, they are drawing. You can say to them they should try to go for the second goal.
Always, everyone will claim the things that didn’t help them win.
That's all from Bielsa - Tyler Roberts up next
-
Før Wigan:
(Leses fra bunnen og opp!)
That's it from Bielsa
12:53Beren Cross
Les Reed died - MOT writer - your opinion on his song and his motto?
I never can be asking for anything to the fans. The function of one thing is to give to the fans and provoke of them the reaction they have. Their positive reaction to the song. If their reactions are positive we have to go with it and if negative we have to change it. I realise how important the fans are in our actions. Sometimes, you cannot say, but it’s important for them to help our difficult moments pass. It’s important to communicate we need their support. A lot of coaches are asking for the supporters. It’s something very typical. Usually, the players demand the support more. A lot of coaches demand the support too. The fans have a high influence on our capability.
12:45Beren Cross
Response from Blades expected?
During the season all the teams are living similar situations. All with some injuries, with some positive and negative results. During the season all teams suffer injuries and losing players. At the end, you have the table.
12:44Beren Cross
Football is stylish enough to warrant PL football?
All the teams play with different styles in all the leagues. I am watching teams in the Champ play the same and different to us. In the PL, teams like City play the same as us and others who don’t play the same as us.
12:43Key Event
How has Leeds experience developed you?
This question is a question I will answer when all the games are finished because if you know the answer, I will go to some common places. I prefer to give a better answer, more clear when we finish the season. Everyone knows the results will have an influence on our emotions and opinions. We are talking about personal conclusions. Who is in charge of public works to give any type of conclusion we have to attend to what the fans are thinking.
12:41Key Event
Hard to be calm among the excitement?
True it’s difficult. I have to say with a lot of precision. When the atmosphere close to you is excited it’s more difficult to be calm in yourself. You need to have both feelings. To have the right value of both are difficult to balance. Need to have a link with amateur spirit, you have a link with the fans, at the same time, no footballers are not fans. At the same time, as pros, they need balance and calm.
12:40Beren Cross
How would you describe the team's spirit?
We are like an expectation. It’s a spirit of kindness(?) Spirit of responsibility around the importance of each point.
12:39Key Event
Cooper out?
I cannot say he is definitely out, but his chances are slim. Difficult to create a conclusion. Information I give has to be accurate. In this case, it’s not easy to have precision in the answer. I say Cooper is not going to play, but it may not be like this.
12:38Beren Cross
Message to players pre-Wigan?
The message is the same we are sharing with you now. Your questions create conclusions. Conclusion is the difficulty in each game does not have a link with the league positions. Difference mathematically between the teams is not easy to solve in the next games. We need to be focused on the next game and not the other games or league positions. Don’t be focused on the future games.
12:36Beren Cross
Wigan opinion - resurgent
I agree with your analysis. This is a team with possibilities for how they play is better than their league position. This situation has been repeated in the Championship. It’s something produced every week. Teams at the top are playing worse positions, but after you don’t see this difference.
12:34Beren Cross
Title ambitions? Norwich slipped
Our objective is to be focused for the three games in each game. After every game we have to adapt to the new reality. It’s three points.
12:33Beren Cross
Wilder said only three points - spoken to players about the big prize or just the next game?
Each game is going to be independent of the next games.
12:33Beren Cross
Pivotal run-in over Easter?
It’s a game we are going to play until the end of the season. Mathematical possibilities for all of them. For sure, in the next two games there are going to be differences.
12:32Beren Cross
He's here - team news?
We want to play with the same team because Cooper is not going to have a chance to come back. It’s very difficult for him to be ready.
12:23Beren Cross
In position at Thorp Arch
Sitting tight and waiting for the main man now.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4WhjUlX4AENfhY?format=jpg&name=medium)
-
Tar med denne, ETTER Wigan:
Like irritert som oss i dag! Forventer full innsats på trening i morgen og altså; ikke hviledag!!!
17:17
He's here...
Here we go.
17:18
Defeat down to sloppy play and lack of decisiveness?
Any explanation that I could give would be meaningless.
It’s not a game that you can analyse.
Because you have games like today’s that you have to win. It’s not the point to give an explanation because the result tells a lot about me.
And condemns seriously my work.
17:21
What did you do wrong personally today?
If I look for reasons, explanations I will find in the game how to explain what happened. But you have no explanation that could justify a loss like today’s loss.
We had to win this game and it was a game that we could have won. And we didn’t win it. When you analyse the arguments that describe the game would give a different feeling than the reality.
Everything can happen in football. But today only one thing had to happen - that was we had to win.
When you analyse you describe the game but I don’t want to do that because there is no explanation for a loss like today’s loss.
17:23
What can you do to ensure that doesn't happen again in two days time?
This is a very serious wound in the worst moment. And the only relief we can have is to get promoted. What we’ve done so far is not enough. Good but not enough. We need to have more strength in a moment of mental weakness that was not expected. This is a challenge for all of us. Especially me because I’m the head coach and three hours ago I have been described as the maker of this reality and therefore this new reality that is different from the reality before the game is also my responsibility.
17:29
Your tactics have been so good this season - does it come down to the players as well as you today?
Honestly I don’t think so. I don’t want to say what I’m going to say now.
We had all the ingredients to win deservedly the game today.
But you have some games where it’s not just about deserving things, but it’s also about getting these things. Honestly I don’t think the players are responsible because we haven’t won today.
What criticism could I make? What could I point with my finger? The player has the duty of giving everything and being ambitious.
When you have these three ingredients, ambition, effort and commitement and you don’t get what you’re looking for, it;’s not the responsibility of the players, but the head coach, And what we’ve done so far doesn’t have anything to do with it. It has to do with this specific moment of the season when everything was in our favour and we couldn’t take advantage.
If you analyse the game and you don’t find the responsibles there is no doubt that responsible for this is the head coach who didn’t find a path to win the game.
The games we have to play are going to be difficult than the game we played today. And if we don’t get promoted it won’t be a season to be remembered. It’s not because we have the obligation to be promoted. But it’s because we arrived at this moment with all of the conditions to get promoted. We lost the ranking we had and the games we are going to play are going to be a lot more demanding than the games we’ve played so far.
In an hour I will be thinking about rebuilding our possibilities because we will heal this wound only by getting promoted. If there is a team that has been unlucky it’s been our team in all, or at least 90% of the games. Today’s game everything was in our favour to take advantage of the moment. Destiny gave us a hand today, a red card for the opponent, a penalty, 15 chances to score and there is no doubt that I field the whole responsibility
17:32
How raise player spirits for Monday?
Do you think that we needed motivation to play today’s game? You get the motivation from what is at stake.
We were motivated and we will have motivation in all of the games we have to play.
Today’s game was not lost because of a lack of motivation. That’s why I don’t want to make an analysis. The elements of the analysis don’t condemn us, the result condemns us.
Any criticism that you could make, the development of the game would have neutralised any criticism. But we lost the game. You have games that you just have to win. And if you lose the game, explanations are useless.
I am very sad, but I am full of motivation and I’m ready to work again immediately in these games. What we need is a breath between two games. But reality denies us this moment of relaxing and this obligies us to send the messages to get what we are looking for.
I’m sure it will be a lot harder than it has been so far.
17:33
Cooper fit for Monday?
No I don’t think so.
.
-
For å si det med Asbjørns ord:
Pressekonferansen - ikke alt er like lett å skjønne...
Good morning...
Morning folks and welcome to our coverage of Marcelo Bielsa’s pre-Aston Villa press conference.
The Whites head coach is due up at 12.30pm to run the rule over Sunday’s clash, so get settled and we’ll crack on....
Adam Forshaw also due up
Once we’ve heard from Bielsa, Adam Forshaw is also set to face the press.
He's here...
Here’s Marcelo Bielsa. alongside his trusted translator Salim Lamrani.
Let’s see what he has to say...
Disappointment on Monday - how have you managed that this week? Hard to pick everyone up?
You can feel only one way and we feel this way.
Tough to get players back up? They were flat after the game
What happened was unavoidabl.e. THe way the palyer feels is normal, if they didn’t feel that way, we would worry about it.
Still thinking about top 2 or is the play-offs the focus now?
Whatever the reality says.
What expecting from Villa? Win give important mental edge?
Of course we need to play a game to rebuild our optimism and winning Sunday would be positive in that aspect.
Any new injuries?
Apart from Roofe and Alioski, all the other players are available.
What's wrong with Roofe?
He has a problem with his hip and can’t use his maximum speed.
How long out for?
It think he will be available sooner [than the end of the season].
Bad luck with injuries?
As an average we miss four players for each game this season
How are you feeling yourself, Marcelo?
I already said how I feel in the last press conference.
And I don’t think it’s necessary to repeat.
How do you lift yourself? Take yourself away from it or anything?
I think when you receive a blow, to ignore the consequences is not the right path.
Pain has a natural process for disappearing and if you want to force or hide this process, it is meaningless.
Supporters want your work to continue here regardless of how the season ends - what would you say to that?
It’s not up to me and I don’t have any more response to that.
It’s not a decision that we have to take now and it’s not the right time to give my opinion.
How confident you can recover your best football?
We don’t need to recover this football because we haven’t lost our football. When you lose, you lose. It’s obvious. But we can’t ignore the way these losses happen.
When you lose you don’t always have the same message. When you lose at a specific moment it’s not always the same message that comes out.
I am going to give you some figures that are not taken into account, but for me have a lot of value.
Our team this season has had 300 chances to score. And we had 100 chances more to score than the first and second teams in the table.
And we have 14 players who played this whole season. To give you an example, Douglas, Alioski and Davis, our three left-backs of the team, all of them have three knee injuries.
So when you take into account this reality, you must have to take into account what the players have done at the right level.
If only 14 players have played the whole Championship. If we need six chances to score one goal and our rivals need only three., the only feeling I have towards our players is respect and consideration.
The game that decided our fate was the game that we lost at home to Wigan.
In that game we have 15 chances to score and we have more than 70% of possession. The final result was a decision of God. I know that what I am saying, people will deduce it with irony, sarcastically. No one wants to miss a chance to score and you don’t evaluate teams by the goals they score, but by the chances they create. But of course teams that are efficient make a difference. We were not efficient.
But then when you play a competition with a small number of players and also the injuries we have had that are muscular are to do with luck, so we were not helped by destiny in that sense. I am very happy with all that I received from the club and the sporting director but there are things we obviously couldn’t get and I always describe myself as responsible of the situation. I know what I’ve done to find solutions and I didn’t find solutions. So this is the story. But what we can’t say about our team is that they couldn’t assimilate the pressure.
Because you don’t assimilate the pressure only when you don’t use the skills you have.
Remember what I say now, as you will be able to verify it.
You won’t have one single player in our team that would be able to reproduce the same level of performance in another season, because we have been very demanding with them and they give everything and they have the figures that I am checking all the time that show what I am telling is true. The players won’t be able to reproduce the levels they have shown in another season.
We can say that you can’t support the pressure and undergo the pressure only if you know you say that and you know what the pressure is. If you say in the last X games you lost 5/10 games because you couldn’t handle the pressure it’s not only about the team who wins can stand the pressure. It’s about how you win and lose the game.
You mentioned things you couldn't get - transfers?
I don’t have any criticism to anyone. Everything that could be done was done. You know that James was going to come and didn’t come in January. I’m not underlying the importance of the absence of James, I’m underlying that the club struggled to get James. The club did everything, more even, that they could do to find solutions to the needs of the team.
But with James or without him we should have finished first or second without any doubt.
The game against Wigan illustrated the trend that the team has had all season. We had many games we deserved to win and didn’t win.
But the game of Wigan was an example of this. Obviously it was not our destiny to finish 1st or 2nd and we couldn’t explain it. Or maybe we could have an explanation. We need to have twice as many chances to score as our opponents. But you can’t say a team that has 15 chances to score and 75% possession that they didn’t deserve to win.
If I was a fan listening to this, I would say that this is not enough of an explanation. It’s not enough to heal the dissolution. Our state of mind is not linked to a personal matter, the personal pride of reaching something. But it’s just because we were not able to give a response to the hope of the fans.
Those who are in the world of football give us possibility that the vast majority of people don’t have no matter what they do.
It’s the possibility of producing happiness and hope. and when you produce sadness and disillusion you can’t prevent that the arguments you are giving will erase these feelings. For some losses and some feelings you don’t have any arguments and football is a proportionate element. And someone who listens to this press conference will say this man is talking about a big loss like he is talking about a big loss that you couldn’t heal. The fact we’ve not finished first or second is not something you can’t change and we feel that. And the fans more than us.
So you can’t hide the fact that people suffer because of this. When I say what I’m saying I always think how people will evaluate what I’m saying.
And people feel indignation because I feel like that. They have more important issues than this. Football is like that. I make comments on football and I also look at what life is, that’s why what I say is strange.
What are your options at left-back?
Dallas.
How well are Aston Villa playing at the moment?
It’s a team with an offensive skills that are different to other teams. Many offensive players, many wingers, offensive spirit and many are playing at a high level.
Have you known a season as drastic as this in terms of ill fortune?
I would say that my results link me more to defeat than to success. In my personal career.
That's all from Bielsa
Some weighty answers in there.
That’s all from Bielsa, Adam Forshaw will be up next.
-
For å utdype:
Johnny
This gives the impression that Bielsa is saying that the team will not be able to perform as well next season, as they did in this.
Is this correct, Marta?
Marta Parodi
Bielsa begins by responding to a "supposed pressure" on the team. and he says that his players assimilated the pressure well, because "assimilating pressure well" means being able to use the virtues and resources that the team possesses.
After Bielsa praises his players and says that the effort made by the players is so great "that none of these players will be able to repeat a campaign with the level of constancy and performance this year" (refers to that they have given the maximum ) and concludes...
Dr.T.
Spoken to Marta and another Spanish speaker. Fairer : I could not ask the players to repeat this season (differently) They have given everything
I have data to prove it.
8)
-
For å utdype:
Johnny
This gives the impression that Bielsa is saying that the team will not be able to perform as well next season, as they did in this.
Is this correct, Marta?
Marta Parodi
Bielsa begins by responding to a "supposed pressure" on the team. and he says that his players assimilated the pressure well, because "assimilating pressure well" means being able to use the virtues and resources that the team possesses.
After Bielsa praises his players and says that the effort made by the players is so great "that none of these players will be able to repeat a campaign with the level of constancy and performance this year" (refers to that they have given the maximum ) and concludes...
Dr.T.
Spoken to Marta and another Spanish speaker. Fairer : I could not ask the players to repeat this season (differently) They have given everything
I have data to prove it.
8)
Den siste biten der virker mer som en typisk og korrekt oversatt Bielsa uttalelse.
-
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5Jp7lqWkAAYDzT?format=jpg&name=medium)
-
Sesongens siste liga-presser:
Pressekonferansen - som det konkluderes: Another epic!
Team news?
Bamford won’t be in. We have a doubt with Tyler Roberts. The same thing with Stuart Dallas. About these two doubts we might have a positive outcome with Stuart Dallas. With the problem of Tyler Roberts it is more complex.
Roberts for play-offs?
No, because they are not serious injuries.
(tipper det mangler et 'out' fra spørsmålet...)
Bamford reaction
I tried not to judge those who are here to judge us. It’s a fact Bamford simulated he received a kick. There is no point in talking about it. Anyway, you have conclusions that are important to underline.
These kind of behaviours, conditions, situations, you can have in the future. In some way, in my work, I sometimes have the obligation to make justice. I mean I have to manage the interests of the players fighting for the same positions and sometimes I reward with a decision and punish with decisions.
Why I have to take a decision to punish someone, I have in mind, a principle you always have to remember when you make justice: all the acts with the same nature must be judged with the same severity.
This is a conclusion that offers this decision against Bamford. After the decision against Bamford, all the same acts have to be judged with the same severity. Otherwise the opposite of my principle is to punish but making differences. Important risk for those who make justice.
I’m talking about myself because if I judge and don’t apply the same criteria for the same situation it’s not right. Another conclusion that is important, when we make a mistake you have to assimilate the details in the same conclusion.
Punch becomes an aggression. According to the capacity of resistance of the one who receives the punch. If the the recipient is strong it’s not an aggression. If the recipient is not strong it’s an aggression.
We can understand we can’t feint the punch when we receive it, but we can’t judge the strength of the punch based on the recipient. Obvious conclusion is if you punch someone and this person is strong enough it’s not an aggression and if you punch someone who is not strong, this is not an aggression. That is the conclusion.
Another conclusion you can draw from this case, when the authorities on the pitch, referees, can’t judge what happened inside the pitch during the game, of course, regarding this episode, the possibility the referee makes a mistake, the same way when a referee is afraid of a mistake and asks for help to take the right decision, when we receive a sanction we are allowed to ask for help to solve possible mistakes of the referee.
The referee can go to a commission and tell he needs their help because he had to manage many things during the game and we all know it’s not true. He knows he made a mistake and that’s why he asked for help to justify the mistake he made because he hadn’t made the mistake he would have found someone cheated, if he found out he would have red carded El Ghazi.
As the referee made a mistake, he doesn’t say I made a mistake, he says I had to take into account many things and maybe made a mistake. This is not the case.
Immediately after the game the referee knew he made the mistake. He asked for intervention of the commission saying he had to manage many things and maybe he made a mistake, and this is not true.
Of course, these are my conclusions, I’m not discussing the decisions taken, but we have the obligation to describe the procedure of those who judge us. The conclusions are very clear: the ones I just gave and the system works like this. I’m not discussing it because I have to submit myself to their judgement, but not to criticise them.
When the authorities take decisions they send messages we have to assimilate. All this interpretation you can find out by the decisions taken because they don’t give an explanation. They don’t tell the public how they reached their conclusions, but as those who have to respect the rules, we have the obligation to interpret them in order to not make the same mistake again. The messages are the three I gave: I’m not discussing anything. I have to say how we should behave again to avoid this again.
Hopefully the conclusion of this boring explanation. I’m not saying I’m against the norms, I am interpreting the norms. The interpretation is an obligation I have for a norm which is not clear enough.
We have 15 people here. If I’m wrong I would be thankful you tell me and there may be some details I am not aware of. I don’t want to make a mistake because all the conclusions we draw for what happened in the last game allow us to educate the public. I’m not saying the rules are wrong, I’m saying ‘these are the rules’.
I wouldn’t like to risk describing, in a bad way, the rules. I want you to tell me if I’m wrong. I can be wrong. I went to the limits of the rules to draw these conclusions. It doesn’t mean you can’t ignore this aspect or your explanation is wrong because you haven’t accounted for these facts, If this was the case I apologise.
What we can’t say is this is my interpretation and yours is different. Nothing changes if we say this.
From the decision taken, the conclusion must be, if you receive a punch, if it’s a punch, if it’s just a push it’s different, you can’t analyse the strength of the punch. You know it’s a punch, not its strength. Measure the effect and the only one who can measure is the recipient. The conclusion from the decision means the player receiving the punch falls down it’s strong and if it’s not it’s not an aggression.
When you punch someone, the conclusion from the decision, and it’s not strong it’s not an aggression, but if it’s strong it is an aggression. In this case, if the player is strong it cannot be an aggression and vice versa.
You're never boring
All that matters is if I’m right or wrong because when I communicate it’s important, not for our relationship, talking about you because of special respect for you. I feel free to tell you I’m not interested in your opinion, more the message you transmit to the public. Interested in your opinion in the case and, like I’m interested in others, because I have the hope if you don’t tell me I’m wrong, to allow me to exchange opinions, you’re telling me I’m right, but of course, there’s another authority.
Another aspect. My job is not to argue with you. Imagine my ambition is to say all the people agree with me here, but it’s very hard to obtain this.
Issue over transparency for all of us - Ipswich and Roofe ready?
Yes. He’s fit completely. We can’t ignore the fact he has spent time without playing 90 minutes.
Thank you
As we’re clarifying things.
The sanction I received of £200,000 is a financial sanction the club received. Sanction against the club and not me, but I’m responsible. That’s why I paid from my pocket.
I never said this and I never said the opposite, what I’m saying now. I have never said if we don’t get promoted I won’t carry on my work here. I haven’t said I would leave or stay. I just said it was not the moment to discuss it.
I just said it’s receiving the proposal and accepting or not. I would never say if we don’t go up I will leave because otherwise you would say the importance of this club is linked to the division it plays in.
For me, this team and club are important in any of the top three divisions and I am not saying this with demagogy. I don’t want people to think I’m not thankful because after the year here I only limit my evaluation of Leeds to the fact they play in one division or the other, it would mean I am not thankful.
Play-offs - thoughts on concept?
We should put a limit somewhere. If the third place is promoted you will only have possibilities for three teams. With the play-offs you have expectancies for the two promoted and the four between third and sixth. I’m not the right person to make an opinion, but from what I saw I saw you have few teams with nothing to play for in the last games because many played for sixth or avoiding relegation.
For me, it’s an unforgettable experience in this Championship because I discovered many pitches, many fans and lived many experiences.
Analysed play-off opponents?
There’s a big important head coach I admire and love, Edvaldo Berisso (?). He told me one day you take the risk of being paralysed because of the excess of analysis.
I think I have responded with this. I always have more data than what I need. See what happened when I went through this data.
Tempted to change?
Every day.
As I have been doing the same things for many years inside myself I can’t change it. When you’re old as me sometimes we tend to give advice as conclusions. The obsession doesn’t improve people it makes people worse.
There is an ideology that links obsession with efforts and work. You know in which segment are the workers and those who make efforts and a class tells workers if you work hard you will get rewarded. Of course, the effort has a reward, but the message is not transmitted like that.
This message is interested in one class to give to the workers. That’s why the obsession for the work is well done is as bad as the absence of effort.
We do agree on Hourihane being ignored was wrong
It’s clear why he was not cited by the authority because they treated the subject.
It’s not it hasn’t been judged. It has. They think his punch was not an aggression. That’s why I make my conclusions because otherwise I would deeply mistaken.
I don’t know what information you and the fans have, but I’m giving you my opinion based in the conclusion given by this commission this punch is not an aggression.
As I accept the decisions of the authorities I explain from this conclusion I reach my own to say if the recipient is strong it’s not an aggression.
This is the conclusion I reach based on their explanation. The only person measuring intensity is the recipient. Only think to evaluate is the resistance of the player and I’m going to tell you something I shouldn’t.
This interpretation invites people to say ‘what is the conclusion you can reach?’ You should go to the ground with every punch, even if they just touch you and simulate the strength. The only way to get justice.
At the same time, they sanction those who simulate, they invite people to simulate. Am I wrong? (No).
I’m not saying that to strengthen my position, just to see if I am mistaken.
On Lionel Messi's performance this week
What could I say that hasn’t been said so far, if you want to talk about Messi?
If I had to talk about Lionel Messi and say something new, I would put the picture where the ball goes through the goal and the position of the goalkeeper.
You just have to feel admiration for this goalkeeper, because how did he reach this position? And by doing this thing, someone can say, ‘yes but he lacked a centimetre’. And at the same time he did that hundreds of times. So there is nothing new you can say.
What are your conclusions of a year here?
Christian, as you work in Argentina, I would love to give you two details to clarify things.
In the Villa game, our players had a black band because they were mourning something. Jansson was not the captain, it does not change anything.
It’s wrong to say Jansson was the captain and took this decision. The second aspect to clarify, the episode has nothing to do with the referee. We can’t link between the referee and the decision we took.
What explains the rival was right is the moment of doubt we all had when Roberts stops playing and makes the pass.
This episode, which is decisive, could not be sold by the referee. It made it easier for us to score a goal. Without this detail it would be harder for us to score the goal.
There is something evident. How we would have felt in the rival’s position? That’s why we took the decision.
Regarding your question: the English fan, all those in the pitch, those who work in the industry, we are all affected by it.
Nobody is natural. We are all infected. Those working in the industry are all infected and the only pure people are the fans. The English fan is different to the fans in other countries. I don’t know how English society is outside football.
What I am sure of is the English fan rejects undeserved advantages. All over the world, the extraordinary thing about the fan is, especially in Argentina, the unconditional love. This is not very frequent in other aspects of life. What I have seen here in England, the fan says, even if I love you a lot, I’m not ready to accept something if you don’t do sportsmanship. I don’t know if this is right.
I don’t know about society in general when I put this concept in other aspects of not accepting undeserved things, but in football it felt like that.
What do you think about Argentine football from afar, the national team, the clubs compared to his own experience?
It’s difficult to evaluate it from outside it. I love Argentina and it’s football. It’s always means a lot to me Argentinian football keeps its importance.
I’m full of hope because fans always love their clubs even more and care about their clubs even more. I have read the other day NOB sold 600,000 shirts. Maybe it’s not important for people here, but for someone who loves Newell’s it’s an expression of love for the club.
In football which is professional here it might not have importance, but this fact is something moving because their sacrifice to buy the shirt is important.
They only afford to buy the shirt by sacrificing many things.
All over
Finally. Another epic.
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/marcelo-bielsa-spygate-leeds-united-16220370
-
El Loco, vår kloke fotball nerd... snakk om sjølvironi og innsikt i d meste.
Digger ;)
-
Joe Urquharte, kommenterer pressern:
Bielsa in absolutely incredible form today. #lufc
-
Pressekonferanse før play-off borte mot Derby:
Pressekonferansen:
He's here...
First question coming up...
Team news - Roberts fit? Everyone else ok?
Stuart Dallas will play, but Tyler Roberts will not.
There’s a doubt with Jansson.
What's been your message to the players ahead of the play-offs?
This event, it’s a football episode that everyone wants to live. You have two prizes at the end.
Both semi-final games are gong to be very attractive and the winner will play a final at Wembley and it will be a spectacle and the team that wins will go up. You can;t have a bigger goal than this.
The motivation comes by itself and the preparation is the second aspect.
A lot has gone on between the clubs - will that motivate Derby?
Could be.
Have you had anything in your career you can compare this too? A semi-final with so much at stake?
Yes. I lived these kind of situations, I am familiar with them.
In Argentina or elsewhere?
Yes, many times. What I can tell you is I’ve been through this many times, Copa America, Liberdatores, Olympics. What I can tell you is I lost all the finals apart from the final of the Olympic Games
Does the Champions League results show you that anything is possible? Motivation?
Sometimes football gives a call to other sports that it’s impossible for other sports to overcome it as the top sport.
Have you grasped how important promotion would be for the city?
Yes, of course. I always think that the salaries we earn as exaggerated but sometimes I think they are not important enough.
And I have this feeling when we think about the responsibility that we have as we have the hope of many people. We always earn a lot of money. Apart from the fact that we think the impact our role has on the hopes of the more humble people. As poor people it’s harder to have access to another kind of happiness than football and many times they don’t have many opportunities to feel proud of things like they do for their club. It’s a big opportunity for us to fill this hope for all of the fans, especially the poor ones.
How would promotion compare with achievements at Newell's?
The impact that this had on Newell’s, the fans, the public, I couldn’t compare anything, taking into account my career, to what happened at Newell’s. For us football is a lot more than it is for you. Because you keep a level of moderation here that give the right importance to the results. The sport result is in the right place.
The fans of Newell’s can’t do that.
How much of a personal achievement?
Of course. I would feel very proud.
Lampard said you were superior when you last met - will they try and surprise you?
Each game is a new story. Those who won the last games to this game and those who lost.
How important will home advantage be in these two games?
The game is very important. We couldn’t expect anything different. At least I’m talking about Leeds because every time we play at ER it’s full of fans. For this game we are sure the same will happen.
Penalties - have you done work on them and how much of a problem have they been of late?
To train the penalties is good to find out - not only the coach, but also the players - who is good at penalises and who is not. Being good at penalties doesn’t mean you’re good at them in front of 50,000 people.Being good in games is not the same as games like that. What I’m telling you is it’s meaningless to work on penalties because you cannot reproduce the aspects.
But at the same time I can tell you we shot 100s of penalties this season.
On Pablo's form
I talk many times about the impact of Pablo Hernandez. When Pablo’s influence is bigger, Leeds play better. ANd you have players that put their influence and Pablo is one of them.
What have you made of the U23s season?
I am very happy for them first of all. And for the staff. ANd for me the achievement is even more important because it’s not that we were at the service of the disposal of us, it was the U23s were at the disposal of the first-team. They have done things that were not convenient for them. The head coaches were very generous, Carlos and his staff. They have done many things for the first-team that have gone against the interest of the U23s. These things don’t make it easier for them to reach the national title, it made it harder. Because when they had to play a game with three subs made before the game, this is an act of generosity that is not frequent and is a complication for the team that has to play in these conditions.
It was hard to prepare because until the last game they did not know who was going to play. They were very generous of us and we were very demanding of them. Despite of our demands, because the first-team is the priority, they won the national title so we are grateful and feel a lot of admiration for them.
After poor results, what’s been your main message to the players?
The last four games we only got one point out of 12. Our stats were worse. Usually we needed six chances to score a goal and in the cycle of the last four games we needed 12. In the same cycle our opponents scored a goal every three chances they had. If we were that efficient we would have won the games with a big difference. We analyse deeply the last four games. We did that the first day of the week. We drew the conclusion that we had the right points and we start dreaming of what can happen. We are full of hope to reach our goal. We are dreaming of this. When you feel like that you feel safe. That’s how we feel. We are longing for these new opportunities that we have
Are the players more efficient in training?
The technical gesture, our muscular responses and the building of this comes from the emotion. You have players who control this well and they can make the difference of the building and the emotional aspect. That’s why you don’t have the same emotional aspect in training and in a game. In training a player uses his skills, in a match he tries. There are aspects he tries to control.
On the job Lampard has done?
The results of Derby and their play speak about Frank Lampard. He has good players, he put them in the same team and he made the team play well.
Can you take inspiration from Poch in the Champions League?
I want to tell you I’ve know Poch since he was 15. He has built his own career as a head coach. He has built his own style. It’s his property. What his team does is more linked to his ideas than the ideas of other teams.
That’s why I disagree with the position of teacher. I’m not his teacher, because Pochettino’s style is an original one, he designed and drew it himself. Before each game we say there is a favourite team. You have many examples that show that the conclusions shown before games about who is the favourite is confirmed, or the opposite. If you take the predictions and you compare to the result you find maybe 50 per cent of predictions are right, 50 per cent are wrong. As we have the luck to be able to play in two days, there’s no point in making any predictions about it. We don’t feel as winners before playing the game, or as losers before playing the game. What we value is the possibility to show what we deserve.
Bielsa has a comment to make...
I would like to make a short comment. We reached a common decision with the players we decided to adapt 100% to the rules but we understand that if we have one player down, the opponents don’t have to take the ball out of the pitch and we also think that if a player from the opponent is down we shouldn’t interrupt the play and kick the ball out. We all know that the person who has to take this decision is the referee but we don’t want to disappoint anyone, our fans, their fans, the other team because it’s what the rules say.
The rules say the person who has to make the decision is the referee. This has nothing to do with Aston Villa’s situation because we feinted that we were going to put the ball out and didn’t. We just want to find a solution to this doubt. We will tell the referee and the head coach and captain of Derby that we will behave like that. Which is by the rules but we on’t want by behaving by the rules to make people disappointed. So we don’t expect the opponent to solve the situation if we have one man down, we won;t ask them to put the ball out. It would be unjustified to do this, because it’s the referee’s decision. We will do exactly the same in the opposite situation. I think we are doing the right thing, I hope I am not wrong. Doing it as we just said, looks like no one would hear about it. Nobody should be bothered by the fact that if we have man down we won’t ask to put the ball outside. And we don’t bother anyone if we leave it to the referee.
If we accept these two points the same thing. We shouldn’t feel obliged to put the ball out and we should also leave it to the ref, who will find a solution.
You that belong to English football - do you believe there is something wrong with my analysis?
I don’t want to take the risk that my logic goes against a deeply routed habit.
That's all from Bielsa
A lot to take in there....
Pontus due up next.
-
Før andre semifinale i play-off mot Derby på Elland Road:
12:02
What impressed you most on Saturday?
It’s a mix of everything. The physical performance of the team was very good. One of our best of the season.The performance of the team was positive.
Previous to this game we played against Aston Villa and it shows the level of competition of our team and the other three games were games we could have won but didn’t.
12:02
Did anything surprise you on Saturday?
I couldn’t say that I was surprised, but Shackleton adapted immediately to the needs of the game but he already showed he was a player with big character.
12:04
Injuries
Adam Forshaw won’t be available.
For Pontus Jansson tomorrow will try and work normally and we will see tomorrow how he is.
And Roofe won’t be available either.
Kemar’s problem is more simple than Adam’s. But still he won’t be available for Wednesday.
It’s a calf problem. It’s less serious that Adam’s injury but we have to take care of him.
12:06
How important is Bamford?
It’s always important to have at your disposal the players that have played during the season.
We always think about our team with 18 starters.
It’s not just a common sentence but it’s a reality demanded by the competition. Of course we would like to have Roofe and Bamford with us. In some segments of the season both were unavailable.
And Tyler Roberts played as a number nine at that time but as you say, the absence of Kemar Roofe comes with the availability of Bamford.
12:08
Big game coming up - how important for you to separate the emotion? Or do you embrace it?
The emotion is an ingredient that allows use to use better your skills. This is something normal, natural and we want to play the game in these conditions.
We know there is a long path to our goal. We just played the first part of the dual and have the second part to play now. The difference is only one goal and the idea is to increase this distance and prevent the opponent from decreasing it.
We know that this is a difficult task, as difficult for the first game.
12:09
Roberts and Alioski injury latest
They won’t be available for this game.
And I couldn’t tell you for the future.
In the case we have another game to play after this it would be difficult to have these players back: Forshaw, Alioski, Davis, Roberts.
12:12
What areas are you looking for your side to improve in?
The goal of having possession of the ball is to create offensive situations and the goal of the offensive situations is to create danger to the opponent. At the end the idea is to score a goal out of this danger created. We started many offensive actions very well. We arrived to the previous step pretty well and we have to increase the efficiency after these two steps we just mentioned.
We have to score more goals and then increase the efficiency. The idea is that possession allows us bigger difference.
12:13
How are your emotions before the game?
It’s similar to what we were talking about before the first game. It’s two games, but you can actually say it’s one and we have played the first half and usually you don’t make comments at half-time.
And you usually work in order to build the superiority in the time we have still to play.
The first game was not simple for us and we are sure that the next game won’t be easy either.
12:14
Should you have a bigger lead coming into this second leg?
We had options to increase the offensive production, I don’t know if this answers your question.
If we had scored a second goal it wouldn’t have been a weird thing.
12:18
Do you understand the mindset of those coaches that would look to protect the lead, rather than add to it?
You could divide coaches in two categories, those who speculate and those who impose their style.
The percentage of success that is representative that both trends have are very similar.
It woulnd’t be fair to say one is better than the other. Every head coach does what he feels because the role of the coach is to convince and it’s very difficult to convince ideas you don’t believe in.
I would have less credibility towards my players if I didn’t express things I believe in but I never express a negative opinion on ideas different from mine. It doesn’t mean other ideas need my approval or not but results show it every weekend in games we see around the world.
12:23
Where does your attacking instinct come from? It takes a certain amount of nerve...
I don’t think it’s about courage or nerves.
But I always thought that the shortest path to win is to play better.
And for me, there is a link between possession and playing better.
Actually, to be honest, there are many examples of big teams that do the contrary of me. You have head coaches like Diego Simeone who have built extraordinary teams with the exact opposite ideas of mine.
Same as I couldn’t say I can;t imagine playing better if my team doesn’t have possession but teams like Simeone’s ones make recoveries of the ball an art and to recover the ball you need the opponent to have the ball. It’s not a theoretical matter. It’s not about one idea being superior to another one. It has to do with beliefs with the sensitivity of each head coach. I don’t have a decisive belief that when you see a team defending well, I think the fact that seeing this has a value as an expression of football. It’s also linked to the culture. I was always impressed by the NBA, the fans when the opponent has the ball, they ask their team to defend. They do it because they recognise it’s a need of the team, to defend, but they also give value and importance to it when it’s well done.
To come back to Simeone’s team, I saw them defending well in many games and it was pleasing to see how they defended.
12:26
Has Shackleton been unlucky not to play more this season?
As a right-back we had Ayling, Berardi and Dallas playing. And as a number eight we Baker, Klich and Forshaw. They are players older than him and they have more experience than him.
But every time he played, honestly, we saw him. And there’s a detail that is very important to me, which is how a player is accepted by his team-mates. When the players accept a new young player it means that they like to have this player on their side.
When a young player finds his place in a top team in the natural competition you have for positions, the one who comes in to the team moves someone out of the team.
That’s why from a team spirit the only way you accept the arrival of a young player is when you make the team better. And for me this happened very clearly with Jamie Shackleton.
12:28
Why do you have such an advantage over Derby? You lead 7-1 over three games
Every game was different’.
We won one game with just one goal of difference, one with two goals of difference and in the first game we were the same team as we were now and Derby was a lot inferior to what they are now. So we should be careful about the analysis. And actually it’s not 7-1. I think we should analyse more the 1-0 and the 2-0 game.
Even in this case, it wouldn’t be 3-0 because we won one game with the smallest margin possible and the other one was just a two-goal difference. It’s a small difference, you can’t build a big distance between both teams.
We would like to have the same performance as the last two games but we know it’s going to be very hard.
12:30
What does Berardi offer that Jansson does not?
These players are two ways interpreting the same role.
What we see about Jansson is his physical strength. He has a big capacity to express his presence in the game and for Berardi he has an expository which is not frequent for a centre-back. Jansson has been our best player in the Championship over the season and Berardi has been an indispensable player. And we couldn’t count on him when he was absent.
Both are compatible, we need them both and we can rely on them.
12:42
Did you doubt that your players would respond as they did against Derby?
I’d rather prefer not to talk about situations where you analyse things in two different ways.
I am very careful to make those who listen to my explanations find them true. I try to say what I think it true and I try to show it’s true.
To analyse you don’t need any explanation and you have arguments that go against and confirm results.
If you tell me out of 12 points we got one, this is not good.
And in this segment of four games we played against the best team of the Championship at this moment and weren’t overwhelmed so you relativise the conclusions.
For me this aspect is very important even if I think I give excessive importance to this. ANd I’m talking about how a team defends and attacks. You can attack well and score only a few goals because you miss goals and you can defend well and concede goals.
If you have chances to score and don’t you have a problem with efficiency. You can’t do anything about it because there’s nothing to do to increase efficiency, Same when you defend.
You can defend well and prevent the opponent from creating chances to score but you have precise facts that the team concedes goals. Sometimes it’s mistakes, sometimes not and the game against Ipswich, if you see the goal they scored from a set-piece we had that situation three times in that game and they didn’t find the ball. And against Ipswich the number 21 found the ball to score the goal and we had no impact.
To sum up, the team that finished first and second score a goal every three chances. As before, we need six chances. The teams that were relegated needed five or six chances to score a goal and in the last four games we needed 12 chances to score, not just six.
This tells a lot about the play of the team. In the last four the opponents scored every three chances.
I always think what would be the result if we had the same efficiency.
To finish, I will give you more information.
You’ve heard that my teams usually arrive at this segment of the season tired physically and mentally. The game against Derby is the game we ran most in the whole season.
I listen to the arguments but not to convince myself of the opposite. Just to see if I must give credit to what I hear. I don’y know what’s wrong I can’t make an correction.
If I correct only the things people think are wrong, but a re not wrong instead of improving, it makes things worse.
I always have doubt about what I’m thinking and I always listen to the opinion of what I’m doing to see if I can make corrections and improve things but as you see if the comments improve the efficient everyone who knows about football will say you can’t have a solution. It just happens.
If you say avoid the mistakes, individual one, that concede goals, no one makes a mistake on purpose..
The design of defensive structure is to associate players and give a role to them. If you have the same info I have regarding the defensive behaviour of the team, it’s good.
I’m giving you this answer because you’re asking me if I’m surprised how my team played.
To be surprised it would mean I consider the last four games of the Championship would be different to the Derby game.
12:49
Did you watch Guardiola yesterday? Thoughts?
I have great respect and admiration for Guardiola.
And the argument that I give to explain mt respect and admiration is that the beauty of the play his team did, you can’t copy that.
Guardiola builds artful teams. We always said what would Guardiola do without the players he had in Barcelona. And you can say that players from Barca are unique.
The players of Guardiola’s Bayern were very good, those of City, too.
But the capacity to create a style that you on;y see in his teams are much more important than the players he has. And I’m not saying the players are not important but I’m underlining the capacity to be creative of Guardiola.
The things that you can’t analyse are a mystery. Because when I watch Man City games I feel I am ignorant and I’m going to tell you why.
Because there is something, a picture, you have ten players in front of their own box and City move the ball trying to find the space to put the ball in.
So I see what is well done and try to copy it. But you can’t copy Guardiola’s teams.
When I see it I’m wondering what’s the methods, what do we have to repeat to do that?
What are the pre-established needs to solve these compact defence? And you never find out but they always find a solution to the compact defence.
So you could mention all the players if you want but Guardiola deserves to be praised for the team he built that we could enjoy watching.
And I’d like to clarify as I said for Pochettino when I see Guardiola’s teams play I don’t see anything similar to the teams I built. That’s why I think every praise I get from Guardiola is not deserved and a mistake.
He deserves this praise I making because I can explain why he deserves to be praised. Take reference for his teams. But you can’t say the same from my teams.
12:51
Role of the fans on Wednesday? And your message to them?
The importance of Leeds fans in the behaviour of the team has been shown in many moments when our team faced adversity and could overcome this because of the fans.
The fans do that without needing to get any message. What makes Leeds fans special is they don’t answer to things that you ask them to do.
They don’t need to be asked to do things. That’s why I feel I have nothing to ask them, they already give what we need.
-
Interessant og utfyllende, som alltid.. :D
-
Best of Salim & Marcelo
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LGiWtmXxJGk&feature=youtu.be
-
Best of Salim & Marcelo
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LGiWtmXxJGk&feature=youtu.be
Denne var morsom ;D Marcelo er EKSTREMT dårlig i engelsk! Etter 10 forsøk klarer han fortsatt ikke å komme i nærheten av å uttale «Ipswich».
-
Marcelo Bielsa press conference LIVE: Leeds United head coach on Western Sydney Wanderers clash - Leeds Live
Marcelo Bielsa is due to give his first Leeds United press conference since the play-off defeat to Derby County.
The Whites boss is speaking after today's friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers which brought the club's two-match tour to a close.
Bielsa gave an opportunity to 17-year-old Mateusz Bogusz after Adam Forshaw picked up a knock against Manchester United on Wednesday and the Pole did not disappoint, as he fired home from the edge of the box to give the visitors an early lead.
Kwame Yeboah leveled for the hosts just after the break, shortly before Kemar Roofe limped off injured. The match appeared to be heading to a draw before Pablo Hernandez popped up in the fifth minute of injury time to score an excellent individual winner.
Follow every question and answer from the Whites head coach right here.
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/marcelo-bielsa-press-conference-live-16618043.amp?__twitter_impression=true
-
Fra bunn til topp: :)
13:08Beren Cross
That was that
Limited to four questions, unfortunately. Goalkeeping coach Marcos Abad was translating.
13:08Beren Cross
Message for the fans going into second season?
One of the things is improve, with illusion, the things we made last season. If we can improve what we made last season obviously we can arrive at the goal we want to achieve. The last season, our idea, our goal, was promotion, but finally we didn’t get.
Obviously everyone was disappointed, but now we renew this option, hopefully we will try, but the most important is we be in conditions to get and finally achieve.
13:04Beren Cross
Bamford - trying too hard?
For a striker it is very important they create chances. At the same time, for his confidence it is important he finally finishes these chances and scores. One of the first steps for a forward is it is important he creates a chance and makes steps in his performance in the pre-season and finally he scores goals.
Beren Cross
Thoughts on the overall performance?
Obviously, the difference between both teams is very clear and, at the same time, it was easier today to play against the opponent we have in front today.
12:59Beren Cross
Bielsa's answers coming now - first question on the match and Hernandez's impact
He brought balance in the second half. He give deep options in the right side in the first half and the continuity to play in attack.
12:35Beren Cross
More to come from Bielsa
I was first up and couldn’t type and ask questions at the same time.
12:31Beren Cross
Thoughts on the occasion?
The feeling is the country has a power because, finally, football is growing.
12:29Beren Cross
Bielsa asked about past Australia job opportunities...
Always, I had the illusion to be one option for Australia.
The minimum to talk with them, to know what they want. This contact never happened. I understand it was like this, but, honestly, I like to be part of the football in this country.
Welcome...
Welcome to our live coverage of Marcelo Bielsa’s press conference, with the Leeds United head coach due to speak to the media following today’s pre-season friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers.
Hang tight and we’ll bring you updates from the Bankwest Stadium in Sydney.
-
Godt å se ham igjen:
https://twitter.com/lufc/status/1152717208520253440?s=12
-
Syns Moscowhite her tar opp noe aktuelt - hvor godt blir det oversatt på presseonferansene?
Martha Parodi, argentinsk Bielsafan, og etter hvert aktiv twitterbruker i Leedssammenheng har stadig (på en høflig måte) kommentert hvordan Bielsas ord blir feilsitert på engelsk.
...og la det være sagt, å oversette på strak arm slik Corberan & co nå gjør er ingen enkel øvelse!
Vel, over til Moscowhite:
Stoke City 0-3 Leeds United: True Meaning
In 2019-20 articles, Free, Leeds United, Leeds United Match Reports 2019/20 by Moscowhite • Daniel ChapmanAugust 25, 2019
The temptation to carve every word Marcelo Bielsa says onto stone tablets puts Carlos Corberán, his translator, in a difficult position.
Salim Lamrani had the job last season, as he did for much of Bielsa’s time working in France. His approach, as an academic expert in the relationships between language, politics and power was to reach beyond Bielsa’s words and rummage somewhere nearer his soul. He may not always have been accurate, but he was convincing, a chorus echoing the soloist’s song.
Corberán is not an academic but a football coach, used to transmitting Bielsa’s instructions to young footballers, not transmuting the thoughts of a football coach into what many listeners take to be the words of a god. His practice is to be literal, and his accuracy has been called into question by several Spanish speakers, who fear the nuances of Bielsa’s words are being lost.
But if an idea is powerful enough you can communicate it without being accurate. Literary modernists called it the objective correlative and it can be a sort of grail; the idea that you can find a word, phrase or sound that so entirely encapsulates an emotional state that its listener experiences that feeling exactly. It’s easiest to understand in music — sad songs make you sad — but more difficult to achieve in language, especially if you want to evoke a 1:1 emotional match. If you’ve ever struggled to explain to someone how you feel, you’ll recognise wishing you could just say one word, like ‘Becchio!’, and have them understand everything you feel all at once.
So when Carlos Corberán translates Marcelo Bielsa by saying, “Pablo is someone special in giving the last pass, or the instruction, of the ball,†he is probably not accurate. But oh boy, can’t you feel it? What else did Pablo Hernandez give to the ball but the last instruction, as it touched his boot for just a moment on its journey from Jack Harrison to Stuart Dallas and into the goal? “Pablo is someone special.†That’s what I felt too, when I saw it happening. I don’t know what Bielsa was actually saying in Spanish. But I’m feeling him.
That moment, the first goal, sums up Leeds United’s brilliance at Stoke City. Although I’m not sure that what they were counts as, actually, brilliant. They’ve started this season on such a high level that their consistent quality is teetering on that mundanity that afflicts Manchester City, where it’s a privilege to watch but difficult to appreciate. City can crush a team 3-0 without attracting plaudits anymore because we’re somehow tuned out of consistently enjoying high achievement if it no longer makes us feel the shocking, delightful thrill of our first experience of it.
“We are playing with the same ideas as last year,†translated Corberán, but there are, “maybe more spontaneous behaviours in the team.†Spontaneous behaviours. Aren’t those what we’re looking for, on top of the consistent application of ideas that would have boggled these players’ minds under Paul Heckingbottom? There were a lot of spontaneous behaviours packed into the opening goal, and that’s why it felt so intense, after almost a full first half of battling against a team given the task, by Nathan Jones, of saving Nathan Jones’ job. Spontaneously, like a unicorn had fired it from a glitter cannon out of the field’s crowded left, the ball was in space on the right, and Stuart Dallas was through to score. The whole situation changed so rapidly there was an involuntary, intoxicating hold of breath between Pablo’s touch and Dallas’ finish.
“It’s not only to see the pass,†translated Corberán. “He did the pass in the only possibility that this pass had, to create to harm the opponent, and unbalance them.â€
And Dallas?
“Dallas is a full-back with high arrival into the opponent half … making a movement to be free is difficult when you have to arrive to one space in one moment.â€
Spontaneous behaviours, last instructions, to create to harm, making a movement to be free, with high arrival, in one space in one moment. It’s probably all nonsense, but it’s wonderfully evocative, and it is, emotionally, exactly what happened.
When talking about Hernandez’s pass into the only possibility it wasn’t clear if Bielsa and Corberán were still talking about the first goal, because it could equally apply to United’s third. Gazing forward, Hernandez rolled the ball along forty yards of grass, curving it like a crown green bowl into the path of Ezgjan Alioski. It was another instruction of the ball to leave you gasping; Alioski couldn’t finish, but after his shot was saved, Pat Bamford half-volleyed safely home past the determined goalkeeper, finishing smartly without the weight of a critical Elland Road crowd or a tightly drilled away defence bearing down on him. It might be significant that all his goals this season have been scored away, where there’s more space and less stress, and that United’s only dropped points have been at home.
As assist can be added to Bamford’s away tally, from which Alioski did score. This was United’s second goal and it wasn’t as breathtaking as the others, but it was expertly timed, concluding the contest just after half-time, nullifying the impact of any walk along the corridors Nathan Jones might have taken with his team to look at the mural of himself beating Leeds last season. Bamford was the hinge. Hernandez gave him the ball without the insight of some of his other passes, and Bamford had to step aside and around to find space to pivot and cross behind Stoke’s defenders into the six yard box. It was done so well that Alioski couldn’t miss.
On another day that might have counted as exceptional, and if it had gone in, so might substitute Helder Costa’s effort for a fourth, that he built from the wing, moving inside like an incy wincy spider playing one-twos until he had space to shoot at Adam Federici, who dived and saved. But you could see the construction work in these, and dazzling though it was, a trick is never as much fun if you can see how it is done.
“We had a good performance today and were deserved winners,†said Corberán, and we can be reasonably sure that simple statement contained all Bielsa meant to say. He could say it about every game so far this season, even, with conditions, about the game against Nottingham Forest that was drawn, because the confidence with which Leeds have removed themselves from the shackling hangover of May has been calm, deserved, good.
You can’t match the way Leeds have dominated their games so far with superlatives, so there’s no need to reach for language more complicated than what Bielsa was heard shouting in praise of Leif Davis in pre-season: “Very good, Leeds, very good.†We all understand what that means. We all know how true it is. ◉
(Read Moscowhite’s new book: 100 Years of Leeds United, 1919-2019.)
-
...denne tråden viser jo bare at vi virkelig trenger Promo back :D
Oversettingen av Bielsas pressekonferanser har blitt et stadig større tema etter at Lamrani fikk skyven evt dro på eget initiativ:
Two from me Phil if you don't mind.
As a journalist, could you request a better translator from Leeds. Today's was really poor. Not his first job of course but it was a struggle today.
Interesting that MB corrected him more than once.
the translation has been an issue under Bielsa. The club would happily let him have a professional translator but he prefers to use his own staff. And his word goes.