Brighton game is genuine worry but Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa have been here before - Graham Smyth's Verdict

Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa have been here before.
STRUGGLING STAR - Rodrigo was unable to show the mobility and attacking presence Leeds United fans have seen in other games this season, when Brighton came to Elland Road. Pic: Bruce RollinsonSTRUGGLING STAR - Rodrigo was unable to show the mobility and attacking presence Leeds United fans have seen in other games this season, when Brighton came to Elland Road. Pic: Bruce Rollinson
STRUGGLING STAR - Rodrigo was unable to show the mobility and attacking presence Leeds United fans have seen in other games this season, when Brighton came to Elland Road. Pic: Bruce Rollinson

Worry is not a strange new phenomenon for Bielsa, for he is a natural worrier. His propensity for worry is what drives him to analyse to the nth degree and to prepare his players so meticulously for games.

Whites fans, too, know all about worry. It comes easily when your club has been through such calamitous periods and found trauma where they went looking for joy.

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It was this time last year when the promotion run seemingly began to hit the skids, defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and QPR making it one win in seven and prodding the devil on the club's shoulder to start whispering: "It's happening again."

By the time they lost to Nottingham Forest in February, the devil was hoarse, panic had set in and Bielsa had sensed a loss of faith around the team.

We are not yet at panic stations but the tepid performance in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Brighton raised the threat level somewhat.

Coming hot on the heels of a humiliating 3-0 shambles at League Two Crawley, which came after a 3-0 beating at the hands of Spurs, it suggested strongly that Leeds are going through one of those spells, again.

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There was already a great deal of worry in the air before kick-off, although ironically the reaction to Kiko Casilla's place in the starting-line up turned out not to be one of the many problems Leeds encountered. He was solid, a bystander for the most part.

A first Premier League start of the season for the Spaniard had been half expected all week, so loud were the rumours of a positive Covid-19 test for number one Illan Meslier.

When asked on Thursday if anyone other than the suspended Kalvin Phillips would be unavailable, Bielsa simply said 'Phillips' but the head coach is sticking rigidly to a club policy of making no comment on Covid-19 cases. And even as the young Frenchman posted on Instagram to thank fans for their supportive messages and to say he was 'recovering well' his head coach was toeing the party line and saying no more than his goalkeeper was 'unwell.' He even chided a broadcast journalist for asking if Meslier was unwell with Covid.

The strength of Bielsa's defence of Casilla in Thursday's press conference might have been a sign of him pre-empting the response to Saturday's team news, just as chief executive Angus Kinnear's programme notes revelation that a full pitch reconstruction is planned for the summer allowed the club to get ahead of the story before the sodden, shredded surface slowed Leeds down.

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It has seen many better days and many better performances than the one that graced it on Saturday.

It was already an ugly game from a Whites perspective before the 17th minute winner arrived.

A cagey start in which the Whites couldn't zip the ball around with their usual tempo and ended up joining Brighton in going long, to little effect, included no real action of note until a mix-up in the Leeds back line allowed Neal Maupay to run in on Casilla before throwing himself to the ground having sensed Luke Ayling behind him. The Whites escaped without conceding and Maupay escaped without a yellow for simulation.

There was no escape for the home side when Pascal Struijk, deputising for Phillips, was drawn into the Brighton half to try and nick a ball that was knocked past him, allowing the Seagulls to fly into space.

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A few quick passes later, the likes of which Leeds seemed incapable of all afternoon, Maupay was tapping in at the back post.

This time he ran in behind Ayling and the defender didn't seem to sense it, as static as his defensive colleagues while the ball was worked around them and into the net.

Brighton smelled blood and another attack down their right ended with Casilla's crossbar rattling.

The last time Ben White was on the Elland Road pitch he was becoming a champion, surrounded by his friends and in all likelihood never wanting it to end.

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It did end, though. Leeds' summer bids for him fell short and he remained at Brighton, while others like Robin Koch and Raphinha came in to take his place in the affection of supporters as the shiny new boys.

White was evidently keen to remind everyone of the player they fell in love with last season when he robbed Leeds' Brazilian winger and twice fended off his attempted tackles to stride all the way to the box, where Ayling blocked his shot. He also reminded everyone of the player Leeds were missing, Phillips' absence felt more keenly than ever as Brighton waltzed through the middle of the pitch.

Leeds had nothing in the centre of the pitch, in or out of possession.

Struijk was struggling, Klich was quiet and Rodrigo was puffing. Bielsa said after the game that the Spanish international has recovered his physical level since a spell out with Covid-19, but it didn't look that way in the first half.

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None of the midfield trio were able to put Leeds on the front foot by playing forward.

So frustration began to spill out of the hosts, Ayling aiming a verbal blast in Rodrigo's direction, then aiming a kick in Leandro Trossard's direction to halt another break and taking yellow.

Six days earlier Bielsa had made a triple substitution at the break that was not warranted, yet with his team second best against Brighton sent the same line-up onto the field to try and redeem themselves.

And they did do better, although Brighton wisely conserved energy in their third game of a six-day period, and sat deeper, relying on defensive organisation and Leeds' wayward passing to hang on for victory.

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The best moment for the hosts came from their best player, Jack Harrison showcasing his sublime first touch and dribbling skills on a number of second half occasions, before getting on the end of a rare cohesive attack to curl the ball just past the far post.

Too many players put in a below average performance, leading to a well below par team performance.

Gjanni Alioski was one of those not at his best and when he miscontrolled and allowed Brighton to get in behind him, only Alexis Mac Allister's poor finishing kept Leeds in the game.

They dominated possession, having 67 per cent of it, but didn't hurt Brighton with it.

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Three substitutions, including Pablo Hernandez, and a defensive reshuffle gave them greater forward movement but nothing more, the game ending with a whimper and not a bang.

Bielsa said afterwards that the lack of quality chances in consecutive games is worrying him and he's not alone.

We'll know in time if this really was the time to worry or if it was as grand a waste of energy as the early 2020 meltdown.

The last time Bielsa was faced with mounting questions he and his side found answers which didn't lie in the transfer market but within the dressing room.

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These are Premier League questions now, of course, but Bielsa is only worried, he's not panicked.

It's not that time, yet.

A look at the table should calm the nerves. Twenty-three points on the board, 12th place and an 11-point safety cushion between Leeds and the drop zone.

Last season Leeds needed to finish in the top two, this season anywhere in the top 17 will do.

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