Leeds United boss Bielsa vows never to highlight individual mistakes

MARCELO BIELSA says he will never highlight individual mistakes at Leeds United, declaring: 'we have to be tolerant' and 'I make mistakes too.'
Marcelo Bielsa.Marcelo Bielsa.
Marcelo Bielsa.

Bielsa’s Whites remain unbeaten with the Argentinian head coach taking his side to Championship hosts Norwich City today where victory could take United back to the top of the division.

Leeds moved top with Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw at Swansea City in which Bielsa acted swiftly by substituting the booked Kalvin Phillips after just 28 minutes of the midfielder’s 100th game for Leeds.

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Phillips had been dispossessed for Swansea’s opener and was replaced by Lewis Baker as United twice fought back to claim a share of the spoils through goals from Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez.

Kalvin Phillips is held back by Swansea City's Oli McBurnie.Kalvin Phillips is held back by Swansea City's Oli McBurnie.
Kalvin Phillips is held back by Swansea City's Oli McBurnie.

But Bielsa has applauded Phillips’ response to his early substitution with the Argentinian reluctant to highlight individual errors, insisting that he is in the same boat with his “colleague” players in being susceptible to getting things wrong.

Asked about the response of Phillips since his 100th appearance to forget, Bielsa said: “Normally, he trained as usual.

“I value and I appreciate his professionalism, his behaviour, when I took this decision, which is not a frequent decision.

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“You know there is an unwritten rule that resolves the relationship between footballers and the head coach because we are colleagues.

“I always analyse the decisions I take as wrong decisions and I always hope that my players don’t show that I made a mistake.

“At the same time, during all of my career I never pointed out a mistake of one of my players.

“And this is a necessary rule for our job because at the end of the day we are colleagues. We have different jobs but the player makes mistakes and I make mistakes too and we have to be tolerant when people make mistakes.

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“Usually I say I made a mistake, thank you for not letting me down.”

Leeds head to Norwich following three victories and a draw from Bielsa’s four Championship games in charge but with captain Liam Cooper facing between two and three weeks out with a hamstring injury.

Cooper picked up the injury in the warm up before Tuesday night’s clash at Swansea and the 26-year-old joins midfielders Adam Forshaw and Stuart Dallas in missing today’s clash at Carrow Road.

Forshaw is still recovering from an injury to ligaments in his foot and while Dallas is back in training after a quad injury, the winger will still miss the trip to Carrow Road.

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Pontus Jansson also missed Tuesday’s clash at Swansea with a back injury though the Swede returned to training in the build up to the trip to Norfolk with Bielsa saying he would “wait and see” if the 27-year-old could play.

Leeds will then face their seventh game in 24 days on Tuesday evening when Preston North End visit the Whites in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

Asked if he envisaged making plenty of changes for the trip to Norwich, Bielsa said: “This coming Saturday, I don’t think so. For next Tuesday I’m sure that I will make changes.”