'Bielsa-like' - Ian Wright on 'not seen' fresh Leeds United development and Whites prediction

Relegation-threatened Leeds sit in the Premier League’s relegation zone with just two games left but Wright was highly encouraged by what he saw from United at the weekend in new boss Sam Allardyce’s second game in charge.

Leeds turned to experienced manager Allardyce after parting ways with Javi Gracia who had been brought in to replace the axed Jesse Marsch who himself was the replacement for promotion-winning hero Bielsa.

Wright, though, said there were elements of Bielsa’s ‘not seen’ of late pressing game in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Newcastle United, after which Wright predicted more to come from Leeds in an attacking sphere.

Leeds took a seventh-minute lead against high-flying Newcastle through Luke Ayling’s strike and then blew a huge chance to double their advantage when Patrick Bamford saw his penalty saved. The Magpies hit back to net two spot kicks of their own through Callum Wilson but a Rasmus Kristensen strike sealed Leeds a 2-2 draw in which Wright was particularly impressed with United in the opening exchanges.

"It was working,” said Wright of Leeds on Match Of The Day. “They were very intense. They really went at Newcastle, closed them down, went direct and it was working. The closing down - the work that they must have put in this week - is probably why Sam Allardyce was thinking that we probably should have got three points out of this game.

"It's the intensity and this is something that we had not seen from them. But they had obviously been working on that in the week and they look really co-ordinated, they know what they are doing.

"Ideally you want to see them going forward a lot quicker but I am sure that will come. Watch (Rodrigo) running back, look at the intensity. This is very much Bielsa like in winning the ball back."