Many Leeds United fans have been reacting on social media after Marcelo Bielsa refused the prospect of changing his style of football.
The boss discussed his vision for the game during a lengthy press conference on Thursday, which saw the Argentine accept that defeat is sometimes inevitable no matter how strong your side is but that it should not necessarily mean deviating from your plans.
United lost 1-0 to Wigan Athletic last time out having enjoyed 76.5 per cent of possession and taking 19 shots to the Latics’ five, but only five of our efforts were directed on target as ten missed the mark and four were blocked.
Performances like that from Leeds are nothing new, sadly, as we needed to come back from 2-0 down against Millwall on January 28 despite taking 28 shots and holding 69.6% of possession.
We also lost 1-0 at Queens Park Rangers last month having controlled 78% of the ball and taken 17 shots, lost 2-0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday despite holding 66.9% of play and drew at West Bromwich Albion with 63% of possession.
Does Bielsa have a suitable Plan-B?
Yes
No
Bielsa, though, is not ready to give up on his vision of how the game should be played and favour more counter-attacking tactics.
Per quotes by Leeds Live, Bielsa said: “For Leeds to win one match we have to play in our own half, receive a lot of chances from the opponent, counter-attack three times in the match and wait in case we score two of the three chances. I cannot imagine the football like that. This doesn’t mean that it’s bad defending in our own half, or putting a lot of players in our own box.
“If we have to name one team that was honest, it was Wigan. Because everything we have done was inside regulation. But now matches normally last 60 minutes. Our matches last 40 minutes and we need those minutes to attack more times.
“And after we see a lot of situations in the game that take a lot of time to restart play.”
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to Bielsa’s comment…
same team out week in wek out everyone gets to know our style they’ve got to the point where they can leave Bamford alone now
— Nigel Rosendale 💙💛 (@nr100ap) February 6, 2020
This is all true, Leeds play very exciting football but sometimes you have to mix it up. Leicester won the premier league with the least amount of possession. Just saying. MOT.
— Christik (@christikwhite) February 7, 2020
Yes but Marcelo we are not winning. Hombre por favor.
— @JackSnipe (@JackSni28167438) February 6, 2020
I’m old and I’ve enjoyed the last two seasons in terms of the football I’ve watched over any other season. This a bad patch of form, but we go again.
— Lord Bielsa (@LordBielsa) February 6, 2020
I feel sorry for the people that can’t appreciate what’s currently going on with our team
— Charles John (@Steve192447378) February 6, 2020
Well I’m with Marcelo. Wouldn’t want us to play any other way.
— JT1919💙💛 (@JohnmjtJt1919) February 6, 2020
He says that but we did that v Stoke, Bristol and other teams. We just did AS WELL as attacking!
— WeAllLoveLeeds (@AllLoveLeeds) February 6, 2020
Chances that come need to be put away, this is the truth, we have dominated games and lost, why because our opponents put there 1 chance away.
Football is cruel sometimes. M.O.T— Eddie brown (@Rochdalebuddha) February 6, 2020
In other Leeds United news, fans have been left livid after Bielsa’s pre-Nottingham Forest update.