Marcelo Bielsa reveals error that cost Leeds United in comprehensive Everton defeat

The Whites were comprehensively beaten by the Goodison Park side who took a 2-0 lead by the midpoint of the first half and added a third late on to kill the game off.

Bielsa's men found it hard to keep the ball as Everton pressed them ferociously early on and when possession was lost Leeds were at sixes and sevens.

The problems, according to Bielsa, were of his making and the result was a just one.

"It was a fair result, difficult to defend," he said.

"In the second half when we defended a bit better we couldn't attack. We didn't defend well in the first half but we created some danger. In the second half we defended a little bit better but we didn't create danger.

"The position of Klich was an error on my part. He was the midfielder positioned in front of our three centre-backs, he had to defend too much. He couldn't do what he does best which is make runs in attack. Sincerely I assigned a task to him that due to his characteristics was going to be difficult to take."

The Whites head coach felt he should have put a player with a more defensive profile in Klich's place and at half-time he tried to rectify his mistake, withdrawing the Polish international and replacing him with Adam Forshaw. He also took Raphinha off and put Tyler Roberts up front, with Daniel James moving to the wing, in what he called a tactical substitution.

"I preferred for James to take on the right wing role and for Tyler to be the centre forward," he said, although he admitted the team's issues continued and made life hard for Roberts.

"I thought the problem wasn't Tyler's problem but due to the construction of the offensive game. It's not about whether Tyler played better or worse, whether James plays in the centre or out wide or what side Harrison or James play but the functioning of the team wasn't correct. It was difficult for us to link our last line with our forwards, we finished our attacks poorly and when we lost the ball we were disorganised. The function of the team in general was negative."

Bielsa also absolved Raphinha of blame.

"The players didn’t play better or worse," he said.

"It is very difficult to stand out, to shine as an attacker. There isn’t attackers at a high level continuously. Either way i think in the first half against Villa Raphinha made an important contribution. Today a winger with different characteristics could have added a variable to the game."