Aston Villa v Leeds United: Every word Marcelo Bielsa said in his pre-match press conference

I described it as important that the club were able to keep all their best players. And that doesn’t deserve more recognition than I have already just given it. The equilibrium of the economy of a club needs to be established for the future good health of the club. For the club not selling such important players, trying to make an investment of £20 million, obviously emits a signal. When you judge the options of a team of incorporating players in the winter transfer window, it is also very useful to see what condition or operations come into the club - who they bought, how much they spent, how much other players worth incoporating cost, the players who arrive on loan - in what conditions do they arrive? - the signings need an immediate success, whether they are for right now or for the long term future of incoporating into the team. To give an example, the club had to replace Bamford, how much will they invest? The winner costs £30 or £40 million. How much does a centre forward that scores goals cost? Even if you suffer a lot of absences, some significant ones, most significant ones are those of Bamford or Koch who have been absent for around 15 games. The absence of Phillips, Pascal and Forshaw, the absense of Bamford, Rodrigo, Tyler, James - all of this would have a different outlook if we had won the game against Newcastle and it’s good that so much importance was given to the game against Newcastle, because it was a fundamental game. We know that being demanding, that being ambitious, and not being satisifed with what we have is fundamental. We also understand that sometimes the patient runs out. And that the game against Newcastle generated a lot of disappointment in everybody and you can’t demand patience. And that I have the obligation to answer to the demands or claims that have been said about the errors.

I described it as important that the club were able to keep all their best players. And that doesn’t deserve more recognition than I have already just given it. The equilibrium of the economy of a club needs to be established for the future good health of the club. For the club not selling such important players, trying to make an investment of £20 million, obviously emits a signal. When you judge the options of a team of incorporating players in the winter transfer window, it is also very useful to see what condition or operations come into the club - who they bought, how much they spent, how much other players worth incoporating cost, the players who arrive on loan - in what conditions do they arrive? - the signings need an immediate success, whether they are for right now or for the long term future of incoporating into the team. To give an example, the club had to replace Bamford, how much will they invest? The winner costs £30 or £40 million. How much does a centre forward that scores goals cost? Even if you suffer a lot of absences, some significant ones, most significant ones are those of Bamford or Koch who have been absent for around 15 games. The absence of Phillips, Pascal and Forshaw, the absense of Bamford, Rodrigo, Tyler, James - all of this would have a different outlook if we had won the game against Newcastle and it’s good that so much importance was given to the game against Newcastle, because it was a fundamental game. We know that being demanding, that being ambitious, and not being satisifed with what we have is fundamental. We also understand that sometimes the patient runs out. And that the game against Newcastle generated a lot of disappointment in everybody and you can’t demand patience. And that I have the obligation to answer to the demands or claims that have been said about the errors.

We managed to score six goals prior to the game against Newcastle. In the game against Newcastle, we didn’t manage to score. The player who played the least was Gelhardt. And the ones who have had the minutes in the centre-forward person have been James, Rodrigo and Tyler. Evidently in the last game, what we were missing was the finishing off of chances. The problem existed. First for James, after I opted for Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo Moreno, and after I opted for Gelhardt, Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo. The moment in which we created the least danger was when we played three central attackers through the middle part of our game. What’s been demanded from my point of view, the demand is totally justified, is that we didn’t win such an important game, that it was accessible. The demand has to be argumented. The view is put on Gelhardt, which is the option that I didn’t utilise - or that I used for the least amount of time. Obviously, I have a lot of arguments. Fifteen days prior to the game against Newcastle, Gelhardt had an injury in his ankle. A day prior to the game against Newcastle, something that is not at all frequent, I organised a small football training session to verify that, without fifteen days of football activity, whether Gelhardt could participate in the game the following day. That’s something that made me think that the Gelhardt situation had to be managed carefully. But the reason why he was the last one to come on, was that I considered that of the four options I had available - James, Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo Moreno - in that moment, I positioned those three in front of his presence. James in his national team plays as a centre forward with another player alongside him. Rodrigo and Tyler are original centre forwards. I insist that that was the decision I took most to make - of Gelhardt coming on. The decisions that you make, you are able to verify them, but the ones that you don’t make always win because they are hypothetical. What I did, that’s the decision I made - then it’s judged. It’s judged negatively because I didn’t get what was necessary. The decision I didn’t make - of Gelhardt coming on - can’t be verified so the demand comes from this. Without considering arguments like the ones I’ve just mentioned, after the first half that the team played, nothing had to be modified. You don’t modify a team that plays well. The start of the second half, even if we had fewer chances, we still dominated and got forward. From the chance creation being lower, I took the decision for Tyler Roberts coming on, to attack down the centre, Tyler and Rodrigo. And finally, after their go, I decided to play with three centre forwards on the pitch. And I insist that’s the moment where we created the least danger. It’s logical that they claim or demand something. They’re demanding or claiming something because I didn’t do it and, because what I didn’t do can’t be verified, the critic wins.

In Scotland, he had a brilliant step. And what he has managed thus far at Aston Villa has been good as he has managed to put his stamp on his team very quickly.

Cooper and Phillips are in the final stages of their recovery from their operations. Firpo is in the final stage of his recovery and he will be available next weekend, or the following one. And Bamford hasn’t improved. He continues with the problem with the bottom of his foot and hasn’t started jogging, so his situation continues the same way.

It’s very valuable that we were able to keep the players that were wanted by other teams. That in itself has importance. With respect to no signings coming in, the possibility to improve the squad wasn’t there. The club made the necessary efforts and they also showed a willingness to contribute, a willingness to invest more money, so as a result I can only value everything that has been done.

Marcelo Bielsa takes his seat.